A New Wind
by closetconspiracy
Summary: Kagome and Sango are the main targets of a demon attack. In order to protect Kagome, Inuyasha acts on instinct and complicates things between them. Now the group must face the demon and protect the girls from further attack. Inu/Kag Mir/San.
1. Attack

_This idea came to me, and now I've decided it's going to be my writing project for the semester, or however long it takes me to complete it. _

_I love Inuyasha, but I did not create it... Rumiko Takahashi did. _

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A New Wind 

Kagome sighed, stepping over a root as she followed Inuyasha deeper into the forest. Sango and Miroku walked behind her, listening to Shippou as he tried to teach them a new game he had learned from the children in the last village.

They had been traveling for over a week now, and still there had been no sign of any demon that the villages had been talking about.

Once, when everything had first started at the very beginning, Kagome had thought that once Naraku was defeated everything would be set to rights. There would be no evil lurking in every village, no need to look over your shoulder, no nights without sleep just because the next day could be the last opportunity to kill the one being that threatened all other beings.

But now, even two years after Naraku had been defeated, there was still a need to look over your shoulder and be wary of who you made your friend.

As soon as Naraku was out of the picture, other demons had got the idea that they could take his place. Now, demons ran rampant, and there were entire packs of them that still terrorized village after village.

Just recently, there were reports of centipede demons ruining the villages to the east. And while they never posed much of a threat, there was a rumor that the centipedes were working with another, more powerful demon. And so, when Kaede had told them about the rumor, Kagome and the others had collectively decided to go and see if the rumors were true.

But the village to the east where the demons were supposed to be was still a long way off, and Kagome sighed again as she thought about what the next few weeks would hold.

As far as she was concerned, the next few months could be spent in this time. It was summer, and so she could stay away from school. Not that she had to go back to that either. She remembered her mother last time she was home, and cringed at the ideas that had been put to her. A job? Now? She still had business in _this_ time, in the past. She couldn't get a job yet.

And so here she was, listening to Shippou explain what the point of tossing a ball straight into the air and running in the opposite direction was, her eyes glued to the back of a temperamental hanyou, and for the first time in weeks she felt content.

"How long until we reach the next village?" She asked the group.

"It'll be another week or so before we get close to that village in the east," Miroku answered. "There should be another village about a day's walk from here, though, where we can get more supplies."

Kagome nodded. A long journey sounded great right now, and as she continued walking forward, she caught up with Inuyasha and walked by his side, her mind wandering as the sounds of birds chirping echoed through the trees.

They were passing through a small clearing when Shippou jumped off of Miroku's shoulder and ran ahead, picking up acorns that were scattered in the tiny clearing.

When they got to the other side, Inuyasha glanced back, stopping the group as Shippou continued to pick up the fallen acorns.

"Shippou!" Inuyasha called to him. "Let's go!"

Shippou looked up, a small frown on his face as he stuff an acorn into his pocket. He didn't say a word as he started to run to the group.

Shippou froze mid-step, his tail twitching once before freezing as well.

"Shippou?" Kagome stepped up behind the little kitsune and stared at him. "What's the matter?"

"Do you feel that?"

Kagome turned to see Inuyasha suddenly close to her side, his eyes raking through the trees.

"Feel what?"

"I do," came Miroku's soft answer, and Kagome saw him tense as well.

"I don't feel anything. Sango?" She turned to the demon-slayer who shrugged, Hiraikotsu shifting on her shoulder. But the demon-slayer's eyes were wary, glancing between the hanyou and the monk.

Kagome glanced down and again, and her eyes grew wide as she saw Shippou shaking all over. She fell to her knees and put her hand to the kit's shoulder.

"Shippou! What's the matter?"

The kit's mouth opened to answer, but he was cut short as a wind suddenly blew through the tiny clearing. And Kagome felt a chill go down her spine.

She sensed it now. "Demonic aura," she whispered, and she saw Sango nod out of the corner of her eye. She turned and met the other woman's stare. Why had they not been able to sense it before? The males had all been finely attuned to the demon's approach, but she and Sango had been oblivious until the wind had picked up.

And the aura was getting stronger.

Kagome stood, stepping closer to the kitsune as she reached behind her to make sure her arrows were in reach. She wouldn't draw them yet. While this demonic aura was strong, she didn't get any hint of violence from it. A simple presence, even a strong one at that, was nothing to overreact about. If the demon meant them no harm, having weapons drawn and at the ready would not help the situation. And judging by Inuyasha's near silent growling, Kagome guessed if weapons were needed then the hanyou would be more than willing to cover for her if she should have to take a moment to draw her bow and arrow.

The wind suddenly picked up, and Shippou jumped, giving out a little yelp. He ran quickly behind Inuyasha, and peeked towards the forest past the hanyou's leg.

"Kagome, you and Sango stay back," Inuyasha muttered, and she watched as his hand shifted to Tessaiga. "Stay out of this one."

"Inuyasha? Why-" but she never finished her question. The wind picked up suddenly and she shut her eyes against the leaves that spun around the clearing. Shippou squeaked in surprise and fear again, and Kagome felt his hand fall upon her leg for a moment before it disappeared.

The wind settled quickly enough, but Kagome opened her eyes slowly. A figure stood at the opposite end of the clearing, and Kagome caught a glimpse of black hair and gray robes before Inuyasha stepped in front of her.

"Greetings," the demon said, and Kagome was shocked at how Inuyasha and Miroku tensed. She glanced at Sango, and saw the other woman's eyes narrowed at the demon.

"What is your business here?" Miroku snapped, and Kagome stared at him in surprised. Miroku was usually the diplomatic one, and here he was being the antagonist?

"I'm traveling," the demon drawled, and Kagome shifted so that she could get a better view of him. His voice was soothing, and she found herself relaxing despite not know who this demon was. She managed to catch a glimpse of him past Inuyasha's shoulder before the hanyou shifted his stance again, as if to block her from view. The fleeting glimpse she got of him reminded her briefly of Sesshomaru, and she almost laughed. "I'm traveling and seek nothing more than a friendly face every once and a while."

"Well you won't get one here, demon," Inuyasha snarled. "Go on your way."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome stared at the back of his head. She lowered her voice so that only Inuyasha could hear as she whispered, "He hasn't done anything. Calm down."

"No," was the clipped answer, and Kagome sighed, seeing he wasn't in the mood to compromise.

"That woman has some sense in her," the demon's voice wafted into the air, and Kagome's muscles tensed up. He had heard her? "You should listen to her."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Not this time," he crowed. Kagome opened her mouth to retaliate, but the breeze suddenly picked up again. The breeze was cool as it brushed over her body, and she shivered. This was no ordinary breeze. It was charged with energy and demonic power, and Kagome gasped as a gust suddenly wove under her hair to caress her neck.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's concerned voice pulled her attention from the strange breeze.

"Inuyasha, what was that?"

"Oi! Stop your tricks," Inuyasha shouted at the demon.

"Go your own way and we will not harm you," Miroku prompted, and he took a step to his left. Kagome realized he was moving closer to Sango, and she was surprised to see that the demon-slayer was staring wide-eyed at the demon now, surprise clearly written over her face.

"Not yet," the demon said. "I need to ask the girl something." And Kagome heard the sound of boots crunching over fallen leaves and twigs.

Inuyasha's growl erupted into the clearing. Before Kagome knew what had happened, Inuyasha was firmly in front of her, his arm thrust out against her chest to prevent her from moving.

"You don't touch her," Inuyasha ground out, and Kagome stared in shock at the back of his head.

The demon chuckled quietly.

"And who are you to decide that?" He sounded extremely smug.

"I protect Kagome."

"You are not her mate, so that is not your job."

Behind the sudden blush rising to her face, Kagome heard Inuyasha's growling grow louder. She reached up and laid her hand on his bicep, pulling down to try to get him to calm down.

"Inuyasha, don't pay attention to him. He-"

"Shut up, Kagome, and stay put. Don't distract me."

Kagome froze. Shock was her first reaction. He hadn't even turned to look at her, and she hadn't managed to move his arm one bit. But anger was soon to follow. He wasn't even letting her stand on her own, and so far the demon hadn't done anything to show he meant any of them harm.

"Inuyasha," she warned him, and her voice was low, dangerous, and one of Inuyasha's ears twitched towards her voice.

"Kagome, leave it be." Miroku's voice startled her, and her anger was pushed aside as she heard his warning tone. She turned to her left and was shocked yet again to see Miroku in battle stance, his staff held out before him in both hands, lips in a fierce scowl while his eyes were locked on the demon's figure. He looked dangerous, and for a moment Kagome could barely recognize him.

But what shocked her more was that he was standing in front of Sango now, much like Inuyasha stood before her. And the taijiya was letting him. Her eyes were locked on the demon as well, Hiraikotsu at the ready, but Miroku was standing before her all the same. Shippou must have ran off, she realized, as he was nowhere in sight. A shiver shot down her spine as her eyes went back to Inuyasha.

He was vibrating now with the intensity of his growls and the tension of his anger. Her hand still clutched his arm, and she squeezed her hand for a moment to communicate quietly that she was ready to listen to him. He seemed to relax somewhat, his stance changing from one of defense to one of offense now that he knew she wouldn't disobey him now.

Kagome looked passed him. She could see the other demon now. His hair was midnight black, his eyes brilliant green, and for a moment he looked up and caught her staring at him. He smiled, and his chuckle echoed off of the trees.

"She's special, this one," he said, and his voice seemed to purr off of the leaves and the grass. A shiver went through Kagome, and she found herself suddenly stepping closer to Inuyasha, her entire body shaking. "She has power in her." And he smiled, and started to walk towards her.

And Tessaiga was out, the tip pointed at the demon.

"Come a step closer and you'll be dead before your foot hits the ground."

The demon's eyes left Kagome and fell upon Inuyasha. His smile fell into something more dangerous.

"Do not threaten me, pup."

He moved quicker than Kagome ever would have imagined. One moment, she could feel Inuyasha's heat against her front, his body shielding hers, and the next she was standing alone, a cold breeze sweeping across her body.

She heard, as if from a distance, the sound of a tree breaking, the trunk being smashed in half. Someone yelled a warning, the sound of Hiraikotsu whizzing overhead, and then everything seemed to go still.

She could feel her heart beating, the feel of her blood rushing in her veins, the feel of that cool breeze flowing over her skin. But all she could see was white.

_What is happening to me_, she thought, and panic seized her. But she couldn't move, couldn't cry out, and her eyes, no matter where she looked could see nothing but whiteness. _Inuyasha!_ She cried out in her mind, but there was only silence and the sound of her own heart.

It seemed like eternity happened in those few seconds of sheer panic, and then the sound of chuckling shattered the rhythm of her heart pounding in her ears. She searched the whiteness, looked for the figure of the black-haired demon.

"Sango!" Miroku's voice came to her suddenly, and she cringed with the sudden loud noise. She tried to whip her head around, tried to search for the monk or the taijiya, but she could see nothing.

Miroku's shout, when she heard it next, was full of barely suppressed fury. "Don't touch her!"

And then Sango screamed. Panic and anger and fear flared in Kagome and she shut her eyes tight, trying to move with all her might. Miroku's voice held real panic in it when he called to the demon-slayer again. "She's bound to me, demon, stay your ground!"

That chuckling again, and then the feel of a hand on her waist. Her eyes snapped open, but when she tried to look down she couldn't. Her limbs wouldn't move.

The sound of scuffling, of panting and grunting reached her ears, and Kagome thought for a moment she heard Inuyasha swear, and her heart stopped at the sheer desperation in the sound.

"Miko," came the demon's voice, and Kagome felt like she was being lifted up, and everything was turning black. "You'll have to do. That demon-slayer can wait until next time," and then Kagome heard a sound of pure animal outrage, and the pressure on her hip increased, followed by a hand on her other hip. Her eyes snapped shut, and she screamed for Inuyasha, but no sound came out.

And then the hands were ripped away, and the sound of a creature hissing snaked through the air, and arms like bands of metal clamped around her chest, pulling her back and back and back, and she was falling, the sound of fighting and breaking twigs and feet hitting hard ground rushed passed her.

Then there was a moment of nothing, followed by too many moments of darkness. She didn't know how long it lasted, just that by the time light started to peak under her eyelids she felt like she had been gone for forever, and yet no time at all.

The metal band was still around her chest, but she was being cradled by something on either side of her body. Against her back was a vibrating wall, and she shifted back into it. It was soft, and yet solid and unyielding, and when she shook her head to clear the dizziness away her left temple collided with something very solid.

Her eyes snapped open, and she felt the pressure against her cheek, flowing down until it rested almost painfully against her neck, like something was holding her there. Something warmed flowed over her neck, and she realized it was warm breath.

Her vision came slowly, followed by memories, and she watched in horror at the sight before her. She was on the ground, her legs sprawled out in front of her, watching Miroku face off the black-haired demon. The demon's eyes were tinged with red now, and he seemed to sense Kagome watching him, because his eyes snapped to her. She didn't see him step forward, but all of a sudden he was so much closer, and Kagome pushed back against the vibrations at her back.

The metal band around her tightened, and she felt the pressure on either side of her legs increase. The pressure on her neck increased as well, and for a moment her eyes fluttered closed. She couldn't stop the reaction, not even with the demon standing there watching her, and her heart sped up at the sensation that shot down her spine at the pressure.

"You stopped me now, hanyou," the demon's voice echoed in Kagome's mind and her eyes snapped open to see the demon watching something over her left shoulder very carefully. "But do not think this is over. That priestess is not yours yet."

And suddenly the wind picked up, and Kagome closed her eyes against the dirt and leaves that got caught in the whirlwind as the demon left.

When she opened them again, she slowly started to focus on the clearing around her. Miroku had disappeared, and she searched for him fleetingly. She wouldn't allow herself to think of Inuyasha now, not when she had heard him call out with such rage before. What had happened?

Her breath caught when she saw Miroku leaning over a prostrate Sango. The demon-hunter was conscious, her eyes blinking up at Miroku, and Kagome was shocked to see the monk reach down and brush the hair out of the taijiya's face. They were talking in subdued voices, and Kagome couldn't hear what they were saying, but after a moment Sango nodded and Miroku put an arm under her shoulders to help her sit up. Sango gripped her head with a hand, her eyes shut tight, and Kagome saw blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

Kagome felt fear grip her, and her eyes darted around the clearing. A tree was uprooted on the other side of the clearing, its roots splayed and scattering dirt over the grass beneath it. Branches were knocked off of it, its trunk split in half, like something had smashed into it, uprooted it, and then used various part of it as a weapon.

Panic was flaring through her, and Kagome closed her eyes, leaning back, barely registering that anything was wrapped tightly around her anymore.

The sound of feet padding against the grass drew her eyes open and up, and Miroku was crouching in front of her.

"It's okay, now," he was saying, his voice soothing yet guarded. And Kagome stared at him. He wasn't looking at her, but at something right above her left shoulder. Something shifted behind her and Kagome started, her eyes going down to her legs. The vibrations against her back increased as Miroku held out a hand to Kagome, and Kagome saw out of the corner of her eye his hand drop again.

She was staring down at her body. Legs cradled her own, stretched out on either side of her, and arms were wrapped tightly around her middle. Red cloth covered the limbs, and silver hair flowed over her shoulder to mix with her own raven hair.

"Inuyasha," Miroku tried again, his voice more forceful, and Kagome realized the vibrations were the half-demon's growls. She turned her head just slightly to the left, and saw Inuyasha's face pressed against her neck, and realized with a jolt that his teeth were fastened around her skin where shoulder met neck. "Inuyasha, the demon's gone."

Kagome was stiff where she sat, cradled against the hanyou, her vision going slack as she realized the position she was in. But Inuyasha, it seemed, didn't care.

Or didn't realize.

She shifted her arms after a moment or two of feeling his breath sweep over her neck, warming her shoulder, and placed her hands on Inuyasha's arms. He shifted beneath her, and his arms seemed to tighten for a moment before relaxing a bit, so that instead of pressing her against him he was merely resting his arms against her. But still his teeth were fashioned against her neck.

Kagome stayed still, and despite everything she felt the tension ease out of her body. Her body hurt, and her head felt even worse, with her vision swimming every few moments if she kept her eyes open, and the light hurt her eyes no matter if the lids were open or closed. Her limbs felt like she had been running for days, and as she closed her eyes for a moment she realized something warm and wet was trickling from her nose. She lifted a hand up and pressed it to her nose, her heart stopping when she pulled it away and saw blood.

"Inuyasha?"

She couldn't control how her voice sounded desperate and scared, or how it shook.

For the first time he seemed to calm down. The growling died down to a dull thrumming in his chest, and after a moment his teeth left her skin. But he didn't move away just yet. She felt his lips press against the spot where his teeth had sunk into her neck, and nearly jumped when his tongue lapped out to sooth the slight pain that accompanied the bite mark.

But then his forehead was resting against her shoulder, and he was shaking in waves.

Kagome looked up. Miroku was there, still watching them, and he locked eyes with Kagome.

"We need to move, find shelter for the night," was all he said. Kagome nodded, but couldn't force herself to move. Her whole body ached, and Inuyasha's actions were beginning to frighten her.

Miroku stood and Kagome watched as he walked over to where Sango was leaning against a tree, trying to stand slowly all the while her eyes were blinking back the midday sun. Kirara was transformed, and there was a gash in her right side, dripping blood onto the grass, but she stood by Sango, allowing the demon-hunter to grip her fur for balance before Miroku came and put his arm about her waist to help her.

"You're hurt."

Inuyasha's voice startled her, and her eyes snapped away from the scene before her to Inuyasha's arms around her waist.

"Inuyasha?"

"I can smell your blood," he answered, and his arms tightened almost imperceptibly.

She shook her head and her vision swam, so she closed her eyes. "I'll be fine," she said, even though she was still terrified that she wasn't. Why was her nose bleeding? And why did it feel like her head bad been smashed against a wall?

Miroku's voice brought them back to the present. "We need to move," he said, authority taking over in his voice. "Now."

Kagome looked up to see Sango on Kirara's back, Miroku behind her. For once he was actually holding onto her instead of using his staff as a handhold around her. From the way Sango swayed and Miroku's arms tightened around her, Kagome realized with a shock that it was to prevent the demon-hunter from falling. Whatever had happened to her seemed to have happened to Sango as well.

A rustling in the trees had Inuyasha growling again, and his head was immediately drawn from Kagome's shoulder to whip in the direction of the sound. His whole body tensed, and Kagome watched as Kirara leapt into the air, facing the oncoming intruder, ready to attack as well as guard the demon-slayer on her back.

A moment later Kagome heard her name squeaked into the air, the rest of the party's names soon following, and a russet ball of fur came flying into the clearing.

Inuyasha practically barked, "Back off, runt," and instantly the ball froze. Shippou stared at Kagome and Inuyasha in front of him. His entire body was shaking, his eyes wide as he took in the blood on Kagome, the way Inuyasha was still protectively wrapped around her.

"Kagome, are you okay?" He sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

She nodded, and her head swam again. "I'm fine, Shippou." Shippou nodded quickly, his eyes glued to her face, tracing the line of blood running from her nose. "Where did you disappear to?"

"Later," Inuyasha growled, and then he was shifting, his grip moving only to slide under Kagome so that he could lift her up and cradle her against his chest. "We're moving."

Kagome looked up, and gasped when she saw red flaking the half-demon's amber gaze.

"Inuyasha?"

"Later," was all he said, and when his eyes flickered down to her for only a moment, she felt herself press more tightly against him, her eyes closing on a shiver.

"Inuyasha?" Shippou's voice broke into the darkness engulfing her mind as Inuyasha started to run, Kirara following with Miroku and Sango. Kagome opened her eyes to see the kitsune perched on Inuyasha's shoulder. His hand was dabbing at Inuyasha's shoulder, and Inuyasha's growl started again. "You're hurt too."

"Forget it, runt."

Kagome stared at the half-demon for a moment longer, then turned her gaze to Miroku and Sango. Sango's eyes were clenched tight shut, and her knuckles were white where she was gripping Miroku's arms around her waist.

"Sango," Kagome whispered, and Inuyasha's arms tightened around her.

"What was that demon?" She whispered, and she knew Inuyasha heard her by the way he tensed against her body.

"Later," he said.

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_If you have any questions about what's going on, just be patient a little longer. This is only the first chapter, after all, so questions will be answered as the story continues (ex: Who exactly was this demon? Why did Shippou disappear? etc.). _


	2. The Seeker

**A New Wind**

Chapter 2

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When they finally settled for the night, the air was chilly with the first glimpses of stars. Kagome woke when the steady rhythm of Inuyasha's sprint slowed and, finally, stopped to a slow walk. She opened her eyes, and sighed at their camp.

Inuyasha had smelled the hut half a mile back, the mildew and mold mixing with the stagnant water in the trough outside the hut's door. The hut looked like it was barely standing, but after Miroku had dismounted Kirara and led Sango to sit beneath a tree, he inspected the hut only to find the structure stable, the inside warm and dry, but for the leaves piles inside the door.

And so Shippou had sprung into action, using his spinning top to blow the leaves out of the tiny hut, and Kagome had smiled and praised his skill before she closed her eyes and shut her mouth against the sudden nausea that took hold of her.

When she opened her eyes again, she was leaning against the north wall of the hut. Sango was propped up against the opposite wall, and from the looks of it she was as dead to the world as Kagome was a moment ago.

Kagome flexed her fingers, trying to get feeling back into them, and shifted her shoulders. Cloth fell off of her shoulder, and she jumped, glancing down to see Inuyasha's Fire Rat robe covering her. She sighed, relief and warmth flowing over her, and pulled the haori up around her shoulders, her fingers gripping tightly onto it.

After a moment of letting her body wake up, she shifted again, her hand coming up from under the haori to brush over her nose and chin. Her hand came away clean, and she felt no dried blood. Had Inuyasha or Miroku cleaned her up? Or Shippou?

She looked around at the small hut, and tensed when she saw Sango was the only other person with her. Kirara's head peeked over the taijiya's leg, and Kagome realized the cat-demon was keeping guard on the two women, as well as, Kagome expected, letting her own wound heal.

Kagome relaxed and let her head rest against the wall of the hut, her body still sore and her mind still spinning. Her eyes wouldn't close again, no matter how much she willed the lids to shut and for sleep to claim her.

Sleep seemed to be a relief, despite everything she might have thought. Every time she fell asleep there was only silent darkness. But now, when she was awake, her body ached and her mind seemed so foggy. She could hear crickets chirping slowly outside in the cool night, but there was no sharpness to the sound. It seemed muffled.

And the memories kept revolving around in her head. What had happened back there in the clearing? What _was_ that demon? And why had she blacked out? Only Sango and her were affected, and her heart shuddered at what was implied by the reactions of their male companions.

Then she heard it, the soft whispering. She strained her ears, and caught the near-silent conversation. She could catch it if she all but held her breath.

"Are you sure you're alright, Inuyasha?" Shippou's voice was high-pitched with fear still, and Kagome strained all the more to hear it.

"Feh. Worry about yourself Shippou," was the half-demon's bad-tempered response.

"If you have a wound, you should take care of it," Miroku's voice drifted to her. "We don't need you hurt as well."

"I'm not wounded!" Inuyasha snapped. "Besides," he said after a moment of silence, "even if I was I don't heal the same as you. I'm fine."

Kagome could hear Miroku sigh even as far away as she was. "That demon is different, Inuyasha. You should know that."

"Mind your own business, monk."

And that sounded like it would be the end of the conversation.

But then, "You know what we need to do, Inuyasha," Miroku said on another sigh. "This is too dangerous for the girls."

"And what are we supposed to do with them!"

"Kagome can go back to her time-"

"No way!" Inuyasha barked. "There's no way she's going back there. Not now." Kagome thought she could hear a faint growling coming from him, and her heart was suddenly beating too hard. She stared at the dirt floor, straining to hear where the conversation went next. A sudden wind blew and she shifted Inuyasha's robe more tightly around her. It was then she realized her hand was placed over the spot Inuyasha had bit. Heat blossomed over her face, and she slowly removed her hand from her skin.

"Why not?" Miroku was calm, despite the hanyou's anger. "The demon cannot follow her to her world. It would be the safest thing."

"The safest thing is for her to stay with me."

There was a long pause, one in which Kagome could imagine multiple looks being exchanged, many different glances away from each other so no one had to meet the other's eyes. Then, "Inuyasha?" Shippou's voice broke the silence. "Why did you bite Kagome?" If Kagome thought the hesitation in Shippou's voice was something, it was nothing compared to the silence that followed. And that silence was echoed in her own heart, and in her mind where all thoughts stopped. Waiting for the answer.

"Inuyasha?"

"Shut up, runt."

"I think we deserve an answer," Miroku put in, his voice quiet. "At least Kagome does."

Inuyasha grunted. "Kagome doesn't know what happened."

"Well she should!" Shippou piped up. He sounded angry, and stubborn.

"Shippou," Miroku tried to soothe the excited kit. Kagome could imagine Miroku turning to look back at the hanyou. "Even if she doesn't know what happened, Inuyasha, I assure you she will have some idea."

"Feh."

"Inuyasha." There was a warning note in Miroku's voice this time. "You can't expect Kagome to go on in ignorance, not when with this demon around now. If the demon had been killed, you might have gotten away with it. But not now, not when he's already marked her and Sango."

The growling started again, and Kagome felt her heart race.

"He didn't mark Kagome."

"But he will try to."

"He can't."

"Why?"

"Because I-" The hanyou stopped. Silence rang again.

"Inuyasha!" Shippou half-whined, have scolded. "Why did you bite-!"

"Quit it, runt!"

"Inuyasha," Miroku sounded calm, but Kagome knew that at any moment he would start yelling as well.

"Don't start, again," Inuyasha warned.

"She deserves an answer-"

"Not when she doesn't know-"

"Know what!" Shippou yelled, and Kagome had had enough. She stood slowly, making sure Inuyasha's haori was still wrapped tightly around her. The night was getting chilly.

Near the door she stopped beside the still-sleeping demon-slayer. Sango was still out cold, but her breathing was steady and gentle. Kagome sighed, remembering all too well the picture of blood running from the other woman's mouth. Only a slight bruise graced the demon-slayers right cheek now, and Kagome wondered what else she had gone through. For herself, everything was still so fuzzy.

"You're growing as stubborn as Shippou, Inuyasha," Miroku was saying.

"I am not," Inuyasha barked, at the same moment as Shippou cried out indignantly, "Hey! I'm not like _him_!"

The moment she stepped out of the hut she snapped her eyes shut, putting up a hand to block out the firelight. Her eyes still hurt, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. When she put her hand back down to grip the robe of the fire-rat, she looked towards the fire. Miroku, Shippou, and Inuyasha were all staring at her, their mouths shut tight. It took a moment for any of them to snap out of it.

"Kagome!" Shippou chirped, and he was up and darting to her before anyone could move. Kagome braced herself, and took a step back with the force the kitsune leveled at her when he jumped into her chest. She sighed, wrapped an arm around the tiny kit even as a pang went through her body.

"Watch it, Shippou!" Inuyasha reprimanded, but when Kagome looked at him he hadn't moved. He was watching her carefully, a blush on his cheeks, and as she kept on staring at him he huffed and turned his eyes towards the fire.

"How are you feeling, Kagome," Miroku broke the sudden silence.

"Sore," she responded. "But I'm alright." She walked to the fire and folded her legs beneath her. Shippou leapt off her and sat beside her, his side leaning against her legs. She stared between the three males, wary, watching them for any indication of what they had just been talking about. Shippou was watching Inuyasha carefully, a scowl on his face, and Inuyasha was very carefully avoiding her eye, staring at the fire or into the forest beyond Miroku's shoulder.

Miroku had his eyes closed, his arms folded over his chest.

"Sango is still asleep?" he asked after a moment.

Kagome's heart tightened, carefully watching the monk. "Yes. She looks fine for now." She paused for a moment, looking for any reaction from any of them. But they were all avoiding her eyes.

"Who cleaned us up?" she asked, and would have laughed when they all jumped, had the circumstances been any different.

"It was a joint effort," Miroku said after a moment. His eyes were open now and he was glaring at Inuyasha, eyebrows narrowed in frustration.

"Miroku and I helped Sango," Shippou provided. "I would have helped you, too, but Inuyasha wouldn't let me touch you."

Inuyasha jerked with surprise, his head whipping around to stare at the fox demon.

"But… why?" Kagome stumbled over the words. Her eyes glanced up at Inuyasha.

"I don't know," she felt Shippou shrug at her side. "Some territorial thing or something – Ow!"

"Mouth shut, runt!" Inuyasha's fist was raised over his left shoulder, and he was glaring at the fox demon, who was rubbing his head.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome reprimanded, and when his eyes flashed up and met hers for a second, she could have sworn she saw something very close to panic in his eyes, and she didn't think it had anything to do with her reprimand for hitting Shippou.

Everything was moving so fast, and for a moment Kagome tried to collect her thoughts. Even now, if she thought about it, she could feel Inuyasha's legs around hers, his arms clamped around her waist, the pressure of his teeth in her neck. It was all so strange

"Inuyasha?" she asked, very quietly, and everyone seemed to still for a moment. Inuyasha didn't respond. "Inuyasha, what happened back there? With that demon?"

Shippou shivered and pressed himself more securely against her leg. Kagome looked down at the little fox demon when Inuyasha stared even harder at the fire.

"And where did you disappear to, Shippou?"

Shippou shivered again. "I didn't like that demon, Kagome."

"Do you remember anything?" Miroku asked after a moment, and Kagome looked up to him and shrugged.

"I remember everything until Inuyasha drew Tessaiga, and then the next thing I remember was being on the ground, with Inuyasha." She stole a glance at the hanyou, but his mouth was sealed shut. "Between that, it was all white and noise."

Miroku sighed. "That demon did something to you and Sango. You both went rigid, and didn't respond to anything. Inuyasha tried to fight the demon, but he was too powerful."

"Speak for yourself, Miroku," Inuyasha put in. "I was doing fine."

"Was that before or after the demon took hold of Sango?"

Kagome heard Inuyasha's growl start again, and she stole a glance at the monk. He was glaring at the hanyou, anger etched on his face.

"This is no time to argue," Kagome scolded both of them, looking between the two men. "Just tell me what happened."

"That was about it," Miroku finished, still staring at Inuyasha. "You went rigid first, so Sango started to fight the demon as well, but when the demon got to her, she seemed to fall into the same trance you did."

"The point of this story," Inuyasha growled, "is that we fought the demon and escaped. That's all that matters."

Kagome started to open her mouth to speak when Shippou spoke for her. "But what if he comes back, Inuyasha?"

"And he will come back," Miroku said before Inuyasha could respond. "He as much as promised that."

Inuyasha huffed, turning his face away from the group. Kagome stared at him. He was being so stubborn. He hadn't acted this way in a long time. It was as if he was suddenly reverting back to his stubborn ways in self-defense.

Everyone fell into silence again, keeping their thoughts to themselves. Kagome tried to piece together what she had learned. A battle had gone on, and she, it seemed, had been attacked first, but when Sango showed she could fight she had been the prime target.

Kagome shook her head. She had an idea now of what had happened when she was snapped out of her trance. She had heard Inuyasha's voice before she was pulled back, away from the hands gripping her, and she was sure it was Inuyasha who had pulled her out of the trance. Unconsciously, her hand had risen again and covered the mark Inuyasha had left on her neck. She thought about what Inuyasha had done, and felt an answering nervousness in her stomach.

Was that why he was being so defensive? He didn't want to talk about what had happened, that much was obvious, but what had he done to her?

She looked up, and nearly jumped when she saw Inuyasha looking at her. Immediately his eyes snapped away, and a blush rose to his cheeks yet again.

Kagome sighed, looked away again. _Later, Inuyasha_, she thought. _I'll get the answer out of you later._

"Miroku?" she asked after a few more moments. "What exactly was that demon?"

"It was a seeker demon." Sango's voice made all of them jump. They turned in unison towards the hut and the demon-slayer's voice.

Sango was standing in the doorway, her hand braced on the frame for extra support. She seemed to be struggling for balance for a moment before Kagome saw her muscles stiffen and her hand leave the frame. A moment later she was walking towards the fire.

"Sango!" Miroku and Shippou cried out at the same time, but Miroku was at her side first, gripping her arm to help her keep my balance.

"I'm fine," she said, gently pulling her arm from his grasp after a moment. She glanced up at the monk and Kagome could have sworn she saw a small smile very briefly shape her lips. But then Miroku was watching Sango lower herself to the ground, and he sat beside her, his eyes on the fire.

"_What_ kind of demon?" Kagome asked when no one seemed to pick up the conversation.

Sango sighed. "A seeker demon," she said, and Kagome saw Miroku tense beside the taijiya. "I didn't think there were many left. I've never encountered one, and I had started to think of them as a sort of myth, a legend to make young girls wary of traveling by themselves."

Inuyasha scoffed. "We know they are real now, don't we?"

Sango ignored him. "Even now, I don't know how many of them exist."

"That isn't relevant to our predicament right now, in any case," Miroku put in. "What you need to know, Kagome, is they are very dangerous. Especially for you and Sango."

"And me," Shippou shivered. Kagome glanced down at the kitsune.

"Why you, Shippou?"

"A seeker demon will kill young demons," Sango answered. "Shippou might not have known what kind of demon he sensed, but his instincts were right. If the demon had seen Shippou, he probably would have killed him on sight."

Kagome stared at the taijiya in shock. "What? Why? How could he do such a thing?"

Sango shrugged, and winced at her sore muscles. "A seeker demon prays off of women, and I guess young demons will just get in the way of the women that the demon seeks."

Kagome waited a few moments, preparing herself before she asked, "And what does this demon do to women?"

"He seeks out their energy, and takes it," Sango said. "Depending on the individual, the demon will just drain all of the victim's energy and use it, or keep the woman with him and continually drain her." She shifted uncomfortably. "If that happens, the woman becomes sort of like a walking dead. There's no life in her, just her energy that the demon continues to feed off of."

"And you guys knew about this?" Kagome asked Miroku and Inuyasha. Inuyasha nodded shortly, and Miroku shrugged and said, "Some." Kagome looked back to the demon-slayer.

"If he's so dangerous to us, why couldn't we sense him?"

"Because women can't sense him. That's the danger of it." She smiled sadly. "That's the part that always made me believe these demons were some part of a myth. What male wouldn't make up a story like that to make him accompany a woman during travelling?" She shrugged. "The demon is basically invisible to women. He can easily get to her and drain all of her energy with little problem."

"That's why he was so interested in you, Kagome," Miroku said, nodding in her direction. "He could sense your spiritual power, and so was naturally drawn to it."

"Keh." Inuyasha was suddenly on his feet, standing near the fire to glare at all of them. "But we don't need to worry about that now," he said. "I won't let that demon touch Kagome, and I doubt Sango will have much trouble with him. So we'll be fine."

"Inuyasha, you are taking this too lightly." Miroku's voice held barely concealed anger. Kagome knew how long they had been discussing this issue before she had joined them, and so knew how long Miroku had been fighting the losing battle.

"I am not," the hanyou replied. "We'll wait here another day to make sure Kagome and Sango are fully recovered, and then we'll continue our journey to the east."

"Inuyasha, Miroku's right." Sango's quiet voice stopped Inuyasha's movements as he started to walk into the forest. "You might try to protect Kagome, and we all know you will with your life, but I can't fight him on even ground. He's dangerous, and you saw what he was capable of doing. He can put Kagome and me into a trance without any difficulty, and you and Miroku would be left to both defensive and offensive battles. That's not fair-"

"But that's how it is." Inuyasha was glaring at the taijiya. "We'll be fine."

Sango sighed. "What if he does get past you, Inuyasha? Would you be willing to risk Kagome's life like that?"

Inuyasha's growl started very faintly again, and Kagome just shook her head. She wasn't even going to say she could defend herself, because even she wasn't too sure about that. If she was put into another trance again, before she could loose an arrow, she was gone.

"He won't get past me," Inuyasha growled. "I won't let him hurt Kagome."

"Inuyasha?" Shippou suddenly asked. "Is that why you marked Kagome?"

The entire group went still.

"What?" Shippou asked, glancing around at the faces staring at him.

"Inuyasha did what?" Sango asked, and Shippou sprung into action.

"He bit Kagome," and he was on his feet, leaping up onto Kagome's shoulder to point at her neck. "See?"

Kagome could feel the heat spread over her face, down onto her neck. She was about to slap a hand over the mark, but suddenly the weight on her shoulder was gone and she heard Shippou yip.

"That's it, runt!" Inuyasha growled, and Kagome looked up to see the hanyou holding the kitsune up by the tail. "I told you to keep your mouth shut!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome leapt to her feet, and took Shippou from his grasp. Shippou sprang to her shoulder and glared at Inuyasha. "What's gotten into you? You're acting ridiculous."

"I bet I can guess why," Miroku grumbled, and Kagome turned on him.

"What is it with everyone tonight?" Inuyasha huffed. "Don't they have their own business to worry about!"

Kagome sighed, sitting back on the ground when no one responded to the angry hanyou. Inuyasha remained standing, glaring at everyone.

"Forget it," she said quietly. "How are we supposed to fight this demon? Is there a way to get him to leave us alone?"

Again there was silence, and Kagome looked up from the ground to see Sango shifting uncomfortably.

"Sango?"

Sango smiled uneasily. "There are plenty of ways to fight this demon," she started. "He's more powerful than most, but we can probably take him."

Inuyasha plopped down onto the ground. "We took care of Naraku, we can take care of this guy."

Miroku just shook his head at the hanyou.

Kagome was too busy watching Sango to care. The taijiya was staring at the ground, her gaze troubled. "Sango," Kagome prompted, "what is it?"

Sango's eyes shot up and locked with Kagome's and she gave a sad smile.

"Instincts seemed to have been what saved the day in the last battle," she said, and Kagome just stared at the other woman. "I just hope next time we're as lucky."

"Sango?" Miroku asked. He was staring at the woman beside him as well.

"A seeker demon never goes after a woman who is attached to another male," she explained.

Kagome looked between the demon-slayer and the monk. "But…"

Sango shook her head. "Human bonds don't matter to them," she continued. "They don't go after females who have been _mated_."

Kagome's eyes went wide and her mouth opened to form a silent "O". Out of the corner of her eye she saw Shippou peak around her face to look at Inuyasha.

"So that's why you…" he started to say, but Inuyasha turned to look at the kitsune, and even Kagome didn't dare provoke him with the look he shot the fox demon.

And suddenly Miroku was laughing. All eyes turned to him in shock, but he didn't seem to care.

"Well," he said after a moment, still chuckling, "this might be fun after all."

Sango glared at the monk. "I should have known you would have gotten some amusement out of this."

"What?" he asked, an innocent look suddenly upon his face. Sango just sighed and turned back to the fire.

After a moment Inuyasha said, "Well, now is the time for you guys to get married, I guess."

Kagome couldn't have been more surprised if he had offered to perform the ceremony himself. Her head whipped around to stare at the hanyou, and she felt anger suddenly shoot through her. Inuyasha was smirking at the monk, a gleam in his eyes. _Payback_, Kagome thought, and she turned away from the hanyou with a huff.

But Sango and Miroku didn't seem to have caught the jab. Sango was blushing furiously, and Miroku was just staring at the hanyou. It was many moments before anyone said anything.

Miroku's hand went up and rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes sliding shut. "Well, you may be right, Inuyasha," he started, and Kagome shook her head at his quiet joking.

But Sango didn't seem to have got the joke, because she was glaring at the monk again, her hand twitching like she wanted to slap him.

"Miroku," she warned, and his eyes popped open at her tone.

"Enough," Kagome interrupted. "We'll figure a way out of this." She fell into silence again, her eyes carefully observing the couple across the fire. Miroku looked troubled and Sango looked on edge. Kagome had never understood why they hadn't married after the last battle with Naraku, but neither had she asked. It seemed too delicate a subject, with everyone recovering after that final battle. And now, both the taijiya and the monk seemed jumpy at the mere mention of marriage. She sighed and looked into the fire.

After a moment, Miroku chuckled again. "And if we don't figure a way out of this, I'm sure we'll think of something else."

"No we won't," Sango mumbled at the monk's implication, and her eyes suddenly went wide as Miroku shifted closer to her. She turned around, too fast for her aching muscles, and her hand came up in warning.

But Miroku wasn't sore from battle or trances, and he was faster. His hand came up as well, and when Sango would have pulled her hand back down to her side her wrist was trapped in the monk's grasp.

"Sango," he said, and his voice was so quiet Kagome could barely hear it. "And what if we don't find a way to defeat him? What will you do the next time this demon comes around?"

Kagome saw Sango's face go blank, her hand go slack in Miroku's grip. And then she turned away from him, refusing to answer, and her hand dropped into her lap as Miroku relaxed his grip.

Silence descended once again on the small camp. Kagome could feel everyone's tension. Especially Inuyasha's tense body beside hers. He had sat next to her, and while he still wouldn't look at her, he wouldn't move very far from her either. She sighed, and closed her eyes against the dull pounding that was starting just behind her eyes.

She heard robes rustling and looked up to see Miroku suddenly standing. He had a strange look on his face, like he was debating about something.

"Sango?" he asked, and the taijiya glanced up. "Will you walk with me a moment? I have something I want to discuss with you."

Sango's eyes went wide, and she looked down to glance between Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Please, Sango," Miroku asked once more, and Sango nodded after a moment. Miroku reached down and helped her stand with a hand on her elbow. After a moment they were walking off into the forest, Miroku in the lead, and Kagome was left alone in the clearing with Inuyasha and the curious kitsune.


	3. After the Battle

**A New Wind**

Chapter 3

* * *

Kagome listened to the rustling of the leaves and snapping of the twigs as Miroku and Sango walked off into the forest. Kirara, who had been sitting in the doorway of the hut, took one look after Sango and bounded silently after the couple. Kagome watched the place where the cat-demon had disappeared into the foliage, waiting for Inuyasha to say, or do, anything. 

But all she heard after the leaves had stopped their shuffling was the soft sound of the fire burning and the crackling of the logs as the fire slowly licked away at them.

Shippou still sat on her shoulder, his eyes locked on the hanyou.

"Shippou," Inuyasha suddenly growled, and the kitsune's head perked up while his hand fisted into the neck of the haori Kagome kept tightly wrapped around her.

"What?" was Shippou's nervous response.

"If you keep staring at me, I'm going to throw you over the next mountain."

Shippou perked up. His voice, when he spoke, was upbeat and chipper.

"I don't see any mountains, Inuyasha."

"Exactly."

The kitsune squeaked and nestled down on Kagome's shoulder again, out of view of the restless hanyou.

Kagome sighed. Her head was still pounding, and Inuyasha's and Shippou's arguing wasn't helping at all. She looked to the hanyou to tell him to leave Shippou alone, but when her eyes landed on him, the words were stillborn on her lips.

Inuyasha was glaring into the fire. But there was nothing of anger on his face anymore, nothing of the violence he had so recently shown Shippou. His arms were crossed over his chest as if he was angry, but as Kagome continued to stare she could see nothing of those feelings in him. Instead, his eyes were troubled, his brow knit in consternation.

He had changed a lot since she had first met him all those years ago, bound to the Goshinbuko. Every one of their small group had changed since they had first met. But Kagome knew him well enough to know that whatever anger he had been showing moments ago was really a mask to cover the emotions he had let slip when Shippou had hidden behind Kagome and left the hanyou and girl alone for a just a moment.

"Inuyasha?"

Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he jumped, his eyes darting to Kagome. His eyes narrowed with wariness, and she was surprised when his eyes flickered to her neck for a moment.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice quiet. But even her soft words had Shippou shifting on her shoulder again, his head once again peaking around hers to watch the hanyou.

"Keh. Nothing."

Kagome opened her mouth to respond when Shippou put in, "Yeah right it's nothing. You're just pouting 'cause you know you have to explain it to her."

"Shippou!" Inuyasha all but roared, and Shippou was suddenly shaking against Kagome.

"Inuyasha, calm down," Kagome tried to sooth him. At the same time she plucked Shippou from her shoulder, placing him in her lap so she could see him better. He was watching Inuyasha warily, but there was a mischievous upturn to his lips and Kagome couldn't help but be a little amused at the young demon's penchant for trouble.

"Shippou," she started, trying to distract the young demon, "are you okay, after the attack?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Like he was even there-"

Kagome shot him a look that silenced him.

"Shippou?" she prompted, and the kitsune turned his eyes away from Inuyasha to look up at Kagome. His demeanor changed in less than a heartbeat. One moment he was curious and troublesome, the next he looked like he would start shaking in fear at any moment.

"I'm fine," he said. "Not a scratch. But I was scared for you, Kagome."

Kagome smiled. "Thank you, Shippou, but I'm fine."

Shippou was glaring at Inuyasha again. "I would have helped you get better, too, but Inuyasha wouldn't let me near you."

Inuyasha's growl started. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"That's okay, Shippou," she said, and was surprised when Shippou turned back to her with disbelief in his eyes.

"You mean you don't mind?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Don't mind what?"

Shippou's eyes shifted to Inuyasha but he still talked to Kagome. "That he marked you," he all but whispered.

Kagome was careful with her words. "I don't know what that means, exactly. But no, I don't think I minded."

Shippou's gaze fell back on her, his eyes going wide. He was silent for a moment, and Kagome wondered if she had said something wrong.

"Oh," was all he finally said before looking back at Inuyasha. "You're lucky, I guess," he told the hanyou.

Inuyasha twitched, like he might make a move towards the young demon, and Kagome shifted her arm so that it was resting on her knee between the two males.

Kagome tried to think quickly. She didn't know what this "marking" business was. Well, she had an idea, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions, not when Inuyasha was so reluctant to talk about it and not when Shippou was acting like it was such a big deal. Whatever it was, she needed to talk about it with Inuyasha. Alone. And Shippou was a little bit of a problem.

"Shippou?' she asked him. "Can you get my backpack for me?"

"Why?"

"I need some water."

Shippou shifted off her lap, walked over to where Miroku had been sitting before and took a water bottle out from behind a rock that was one of many scattered in the tiny clearing around the hut. He walked back over to Kagome, holding it out for her, and she took it hesitantly before taking a sip of it. Shippou watched her the entire time.

"Thanks, Shippou," she sighed as she put the water bottle down next to the fire.

Inuyasha suddenly huffed. "Hey, runt, get lost."

"What!" was Shippou's indignant response.

"Go get some firewood. We're almost out."

Shippou was glaring at Inuyasha, eyes narrowed. "We have plenty left!"

Kagome glanced over and saw two logs the length of her forearm resting close to the fire. They were as thick as two of her wrists put together. They wouldn't last the night.

"Shippou," Inuyasha started again, and Kagome watched him as he explained in a calm voice. "You don't want Kagome or Sango to get cold, do you?"

Shippou was glancing rapidly between Inuyasha and Kagome. "But… but…" he sputtered. His eyes settled on Kagome, pleading.

Kagome sighed. In any other circumstances she would have told Inuyasha to go collect more firewood or, most likely, go collect some herself. But she was too tired, and Inuyasha was still troubling her. She had things to discuss with him, and it would be a whole lot easier to do so if Inuyasha wasn't distracted by the kitsune's presence.

"Please, Shippou?" she asked, and she saw Inuyasha's ear twitch in response. "It's safe now. And it would be a really big help."

Shippou's eyes stopped shifting and after a moment of his stillness his little chest poofed out and he nodded, suddenly determined.

"I'll be back soon," he announced, and turned and marched off into the woods. Kagome could hear his progress away from camp and the soft little exclamation he gave a moment later when a shadow moved and spooked him.

She sighed, a soft smile creeping onto her lips as she turned back to Inuyasha.

She froze. He was staring right at her, his eyes still wary, but something a lot like determination was in his gaze now.  
"Inuyasha?"

He huffed, a soft sound that could have meant anything. Then, after another heartbeat, he slumped and turned his head to take in the fire again. Kagome shook her head.

But then she saw the stains on his shirt. They were faint, but still here. And she remembered Shippou dabbing at his shoulder, asking the hanyou if he was okay.

"Inuyasha? Are you wounded?"

She ignored his dismissive grunt and crawled on her knees to where he sat. He reared back, as if she would attack him, and she stopped, waited for him to realize what he was doing before he settled back down.

"I'm fine, Kagome. It's you who should be resting." He paused, his eyes flashing up to her face. "How are you feeling, by the way?"

Her lips twitched. "I'm fine. Just… a little headache."

Inuyasha's brow furrowed, but before he could do anything Kagome put a hand to his right shoulder, her fingers grazing the tear in the white shirt.

"You were wounded!"

"Keh! I'm fine!"

He shrugged to get away from her, but she was already sitting cross-legged at his side, her hand tugging at the shoulder of his shirt. The neck slid down until his shoulder was bare to her, and she stared at the rough cut on his shoulder.

Blood crusted the torn skin, and what skin she could see under the blood was pink and heated.

"Inuyasha! Why didn't you take care of this!" She started to stand, but was stopped by his hand latching onto her wrist.

"Where are you going?" he snapped.

"To get my medicines."

He tugged her gently back to the ground, made sure she was seated before shooting her a look that demanded her to stay. "I'll get it," he mumbled, and was up and walking into the run-down hut before she could blink.

He came back a moment later, her yellow backpack hanging from his hand. He plopped down in his previous seat and slid the backpack to her. In silence, Kagome took out the medical box, opening it to pull out a moist cloth, antiseptic, and bandages. She worked carefully, despite the fact that his muscles didn't even so much as twitch when she sprayed the wound with antiseptic.

As she placed the antiseptic back into the box and started to unravel the bandages, nudging his shirt further off his shoulder so she could bind the wound properly, she stole silent glances at the hanyou. He was utterly silent, his eyes staring into the fire. But once, just once, as she looked up from tearing the bandages into more manageable strips, she saw his eyes glued to her, fastened on her neck. When she went still, panic had flashed through his eyes before they snapped to her face to see her staring at him. Again, that blush had spread across his cheeks and he had gone back to staring into the fire. Kagome resumed her careful work on him, her own cheeks heated from his look.

"Inuyasha?" she asked quietly, and he grunted. "Why haven't you started to heal yet?"

He shrugged his other shoulder. "I will."

"But you haven't." She looped the bandages under his arm, up over his shoulder and around his chest to make sure it stayed. "It's been hours. You've usually started to heal by now."

Inuyasha stole another glance at her. Neither one mentioned how Kagome was the only one who knew what his healing habits were. How long it took him to heal, what wounds were the most damaging to him, what wounds were more nuisance than actual trouble. And that's why this one made her nervous.

Inuyasha sighed, his eyes closing as she finished tying off the bandages, and he shrugged, getting used to the bindings.

"I'll be fine."

It was Kagome's turn to sigh as she turned and put the leftover bandages back into the medical box and snapped it shut before placing it securely in her backpack again.

"It's you who should be resting, Kagome." Inuyasha's voice was quiet, somber, and she looked back up to him, her heart beating harder in her chest.

"Inuyasha?"

His eyes were half-closed as he stared into the fire, the shadows playing across his temples and the bridge of his nose, the firelight bringing into relief his amber eyes and cheekbones. Kagome watched him carefully.

"You need to rest," was all he offered. "That demon was dangerous."

_So he admits it_, Kagome thought. Her hands moved up and grasped his shirt, still hanging half-off his shoulder. He started, but let her finish, her fingers gentle as she smoothed the shirt back over the cleaned and bound wound. When her fingers lingered just a little too long, and just barely touched his neck, he went rigid.

Kagome's eyes went wide and she snatched her hand back. She hadn't known what she had been doing. But her fingers had suddenly brushed over the nape of his neck, where his pulse beat strong and steady. Much in the same spot Inuyasha had bit her.

All was quiet around them, but for the fire and the crickets and the wind that blew gently through the clearing. Kagome shivered, the breeze cooling her heated cheeks and reminding her of another breeze full of demonic power. Her hands instinctively went up and pulled Inuyasha's haori tightly around her once more, securing it firmly around her neck so she could bury her nose in the fabric. The fire-rat smelled of earth and water and high treetop branches. It smelled of Inuyasha. She took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly, her eyes staring at the fire.

"Inuyasha?" she asked, bracing herself. Her voice was muffled by the cloth, but he could hear her anyway and grunted in response.

"What happened back there?"

Inuyasha didn't stir. "Back where?"

Frustration threatened Kagome for a moment.

"Back with that demon. It felt so odd… and I couldn't move, and…" her voice trailed away. Inuyasha suddenly shifted, and she looked up to see him shifting closer to her.

"Don't worry, Kagome," he said, and his voice was almost a whisper. "I'll protect you."

"Inuyasha, that's not the answer I'm looking for."

His head snapped around to stare at her.

"I'm asking you what happened," she continued. "And you won't answer me."

Inuyasha looked away again, scoffing in the process.

"Inuyasha." There was a warning in her voice this time. "I'm going to ask you again. And please answer this before Shippou comes back. If you don't want him to hear it, then please say it now." She paused, waiting for him to supply something, anything. But he remained silent. "Inuyasha, what happened back there with that demon?"

"He attacked you," he whispered, "and Sango. And I protected you."

Kagome's breath rushed out of her in exasperation, her head falling forward. Her forehead smacked into her knees and she winced, her headache coming back into full force, but she didn't lift her head up to shoot an aggravated look at the uncooperative hanyou.

"Why are you being so stubborn?" she muttered, and she could hear the rustle of cloth and limbs as Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. But he wouldn't relinquish any information. Nothing.

Kagome breathed in his scent again, letting her eyes remain closed as she willed the headache away.

It was almost like before, after that final battle. All those years ago, in the weeks of recovery and regaining strength after the battle, he had talked about what had happened. He had talked about what had happened when he had felt his demon-nature pull at him, and what he had felt about all that. But he couldn't talk about what had made him choose the Jewel's fate as he had. It was in regards to her that he couldn't explain himself, but he had at least kept by her side, been there to be her friend if nothing more.

This time, if felt as if he was totally withdrawing from her. Expect for his promises to protect her.

Kagome shook her head, wondering what was so different about this time. She let her mind wander, float over the experiences with the demon. It was still all so fuzzy, a white haze bordering even her memories of what had happened before she was thrown into the trance. But what remained clear, despite everything, was the pressure on her neck, Inuyasha's arms around her, his growling rumbling through her body. She focused on that memory longer than she told herself she should. But, despite what she told herself, she couldn't get herself to stop thinking that she wished Inuyasha would admit to it, that he would explain it to her, so that the nervous, excited flutterings in her stomach were either justified, or wiped away.

But he was choosing to avoid everything, and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she tried to push the memories away. If he wanted to ignore what had happened, it would be too painful to dwell, no matter how much she wanted to know why his arms had felt so sure and so right when they had been wrapped around her, why she still felt a pleasant warmth shoot down her spine when she thought back to what his teeth had felt like on her neck.

And so she let her mind wander back to the last battle, back to the last time any of them had ever been in any serious danger.

That final battle with Naraku had changed all of them. Going into it, they had known they would come out differently, if they came out at all. But afterwards, as they faced those changes, they were forced to face the _reality_ of what they had been the end of Naraku.

Miroku had taken the longest to recuperate. He had been weak from the shouki wounds in his body. And mentally he was still facing the fact that he would be able to actually live. He had been prepared to die, had been so sure he would die, and suddenly he had had a life to live. And Kagome and the others had seen the shock that had come with the realization that he would continue to live creep into his eyes every so often when he would look down at his right hand, even months after the battle,.

His windtunnel was, of course, gone, and that had been another thing for him to deal with. Whatever danger the windtunnel had posed for Miroku, no one had ever denied that it was a formidable weapon to use against their enemies. And so, in their first dangerous battle, when Miroku had gripped the prayer beads he still kept around his wrist and started to raise his hand, it had been Sango who had stepped in front of him and thrown Hiraikotsu, killing the demon they faced mid-stride. Miroku had silently shaken himself out of his momentary stillness, weaving the beads back around his wrist, meeting Sango's worried glance with a small smile as she turned around to look at him.

"Good job, Sango," he had said, quite cheerfully, before striding past her to get a good look at the remains of the demon and make sure it was, in fact, quite dead.

But Miroku had recovered, though not without change, and they had all continued on their journeying, taking over the job of subduing the demons that had sought to take Naraku's position as the most powerful demonic power.

What had Kagome thinking back to all of that now, however, were the changes she had seen in Inuyasha.

No one had known, really, how that last battle would turn out. And in the end, it had turned out differently than Kagome had ever imagined it would.

They had managed to kill Naraku. It had been the hardest thing they had ever done, or would ever do. But they had done it. And Kagome still felt disbelief and shock and relief flow through her body all at once when she thought back to that one event.

But the Jewel, as bound to Naraku as it had been, was more powerful than Naraku ever could be. And so it had survived, and they had all watched with held breath as it started to fill with Kagome's pure, bright light. But halfway through it had stopped, and dark and light had battled in the jewel once more.

Inuyasha had growled, leaping up to the jewel and grabbing it.

"Kagome!" he had shouted, and she hadn't missed the shudder than ran through his body at the contact with the jewel. "Destroy it!"

"Wait! Don't!" Miroku had held out his bared, whole right hand, and Kagome's knees had gone weak. "Its power," he had yelled, and Kagome's head had whipped around to see Inuyasha doubling over, a growl tearing though his throat.

And Kagome had understood. The Jewel was still torn by dark and light, and both were battling in Inuyasha, who had grabbed onto the jewel without thinking, blinded by the battling powers.

His demon's markings had carved over his face, his eyes had started to glow red, and when he raised his head and his eyes met Kagome's she had felt her heart stutter. Violence raged in his eyes, and she had felt tears sliding hot and wet down her cheeks.

"Inuyasha!" she had called out and started to run towards him. But he had reared back, his fangs suddenly bared.

"Don't!" He had rasped, and his voice sounded like pain was tearing him apart. "Stay where you are!"

And she had had to watch as his eyes stayed glued to hers for what seemed like ages, his body shaking with the battling forces of the jewel. And he had been forced to make a choice. Dark or Light. Demon or Human. Death or Life.

And his words had shocked all of them.

"Stay." He had whispered the words, but a sudden wind had blown his words to all of them as they watched him in horror. "Stay, Kagome. The Bone-Eater's Well will stay… open."

And the pure, white light that had pierced through his hand as it remained gripped tight over the Jewel blinded them all. But past it, Kagome had heard Inuyasha cry out in pain before calling out her name.

"Kagome! Now, Kagome! Shoot it!"

But her hands were already moving, as if she had known what he would say, and an arrow was notched in her bow. She put all her will, all her strength into that arrow, pulled back, and released it, barely knowing where she aimed, just knowing that she aimed true.

And just as her arrow, years before, had struck the Jewel and shattered it, it struck it once more and ended it with blinding light and a sound like the shattering of a thousand mirrors.

Inuyasha had described what had happened afterwards, when Sango was bandaging up the wounds Rin and Kohaku has sustained, keeping a close, watchful eye on the monk who was sleeping off the strain on his body.

"I felt like I was being torn in two," he had said, and his eyes had stared down into the valley from where they stood on the cliff. But he hadn't been seeing any of the blooming trees or the sparkling rivers that lay scattered beneath them. "There was one voice in my head, telling me to turn, to tear… and I wanted blood. Your blood," he added, so quietly that even today she still wasn't sure if she had heard him right or not. "But there was something else inside me telling to fight, to stay strong. And it hurt to follow either, and so I tried to stay between the two, but that hurt the most."

Kagome had stared into his face, her arm hooked over his and her body close enough to his that she could feel his warmth and the way his muscles still shook with exhaustion.

"I was afraid for you," he had whispered. Then, in a stronger voice, "And then your arrow was there." He finally turned to look at her, and in his eyes was all the relief, all the pain, all the burden that the jewel had laid on all of them. "You were strong, Kagome."

For once Kagome didn't feel a blush rise to her cheeks, and her eyes had closed as relief flowed through her. Her head had tilted forward until her forehead rested against his shoulder and after a moment his cheek had fallen against the top of her head. They had stayed that way for a long time, letting the emotions that came from victory and the shock of a long battle finally ending slide off of them. She didn't want to question what he had finally decided between the light and the dark, that what he decided hadn't had to do with him at all but with her, and her ability to remain traveling between worlds. And they hadn't spoken of it since.

It had been later, after the last rays of the sun had all but disappeared over the horizon, that Kagome had felt Inuyasha stir beside her, a short, soft growl escaping him before he turned to face the body that had appeared behind them.

Sesshomaru stood not far away, his eyes on the couple.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha had asked warily.

"I'm leaving," Sesshomaru had said, his voice void of any emotion. From the looks of him, Kagome never would have believed it had someone told her he had just helped to defeat the most powerful demonic power that had been seen for a long time. "Tell the demon-slayer she's paid her debt."

And he was turning around, walking away into the night with Jaken on his heels. Rin had hesitated, her glance going back to Sango and thanking her quietly before glancing at Kohaku. Kohaku had stared back at her, and when Rin had waved and given him a smile, his hand had risen in farewell. He had watched her as she ran off and followed the dog-demon, his eyes following her until she disappeared completely.

Sango had been sitting near Miroku, and as Kagome and Inuyasha had turned and watched her, her head had bowed forward, her form completely still as she started her vigil for the recovering monk. Kagome could sense the tension in the taijiya's body, and she knew by the way Inuyasha's head had snapped back a little that he could smell tears coming from the woman's eyes. But they had left her in peace. Even days afterwards, when they had all gained some of their strength back and were travelling home to finish the long steps towards complete recovery, Sango's reserve and wariness had worn off on Miroku, and Inuyasha and Kagome had let the two alone.

And so it had remained. Their small family still fought demons, still remained close, but just as Inuyasha and Kagome had been careful to avoid talking about why Inuyasha had chosen for her to continue to travel between worlds, so had the taijiya and monk kept a small distance between them. And Kagome had never asked why.

Kagome's head was starting to pound. Memories of that final battle always brought back such mixed feelings. Hope, relief, happiness, confusion, pain. All wrapped up into one memory.

Back then, they had both avoided Inuyasha's decision to have her remain travelling between two worlds. She had never asked him why he chose to wish that, above anything else that could possibly have entered his mind during those last, desperate moments when good and evil were pulling at him, he had wished for her to be able to remain by his side. She had never thought to question him, because it had seemed too good to be true that she could actually continue to be with him when, before, she had been unsure what would _really_ happen at the end of it all.

Now though?

Kagome sighed. Now things were different. She didn't want to avoid what had happened. Not when everyone seemed to be making such a big deal about Inuyasha biting her, not when she felt warmth spread through her at the thought of his teeth marking her, not when she had felt the need to touch the corresponding spot on his neck. She didn't think she_could_ avoid it this time. Things would already be hard enough with the demon going after them, without trying to skirt around the suddenly broken boundaries between the two of them.

She snapped her thoughts completely away from the past and focused, instead, on the present.

_That priestess is not yours yet…_

Those words suddenly echoed in Kagome's mind, and her eyes snapped to Inuyasha. He was still staring off into the fire.

"'That priestess is not yours yet.'"

Inuyasha jumped at her voice, his ears twitching as his eyes leapt up to hers. When she caught his gaze, she wouldn't let it go.

"Inuyasha," she said, very carefully, "what did that demon mean when he said that."

"Feh. Hell if I know," and he was looking away again.

"Inuyasha," Kagome warned, and she felt something painful snap in her chest. She sucked in a quick breath and his eyes filled with alarm as she suddenly turned to face him and took one, two steps towards him on her knees. He backpedaled before he tripped and was sitting in the dirt with Kagome on her knees before him, less than a foot away.

"Be honest with me, Inuyasha," she demanded, and her voice was very controlled, very calm. It was making Inuyasha nervous and his eyes narrowed at her to see what she would do next. "You don't think I'm scared enough as it is? Well, I am… a little… but only because I don't know who that demon was, or why you were… why you felt you had to protect me like you did." She stopped for a moment, and Inuyasha's eyes widened at her yet again. "Inuyasha. Please tell me what happened back there."

Kagome watched and waited for some reaction. But Inuyasha just stared at her, his eyes wide, assessing. She sighed, started to move back, but stopped suddenly when Inuyasha's eyes suddenly closed.

"Don't worry, Kagome," he whispered. "I won't let that demon get you."

And suddenly she was angry.

"That's not what I want to hear, Inuyasha!" Her hand came up and smacked him across his good shoulder. "I don't need you to protect me when you won't tell me _why_!"

And suddenly Inuyasha's hand was around her wrist, stilling her movements. Her eyes snapped up to his and her breath caught in her throat.

"Stop that, wench!" His eyes were very serious all of a sudden, his fangs bared, and there was nothing about him that was avoiding the questions any longer. "If I told you I would protect you, then you have to trust me! I don't just do it for my own amusement."

Kagome was quiet for a moment. Then, "Are you sure?" and her fingers twitched in his grasp.

"Feh." He released her hand, his own going behind him so he could lean back against it.

Neither of them moved. Kagome was staring at him again, waiting for him to offer any sort of explanation, but Inuyasha was back to staring at the fire again.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome started

"You were in danger."

She froze. "What?"

"You were in danger," he repeated. "I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't use Tessaiga, 'cause you were there in his grasp, and… instinct just took over, I guess."

"Instinct?" she prompted after a moment of silence.

"Keh." Inuyasha shuffled back until his body was clear of hers and his legs were crossed, his arms folded over his chest and his eyes closed.

"Inuyasha! I swear… S-!" She started to say "sit" but Inuyasha's eyes popped open and she heard a cut-off growl go through the air. She hadn't used that command in a long time, and she much preferred it that way.

"Fine!" he suddenly burst out. "It was pure instinct, okay! I wouldn't have marked you if I didn't need to, but there you go!" He turned his head away from her, grumbling, "Damn that Shippou…"

Kagome just stared at him. He had said it: _Marked._ Her hand reached up, covered the spot on her neck where she could still feel Inuyasha's teeth biting into her. She dropped her eyes from his frame when the blush spread over her cheeks again.

Kagome remained silent. _Marked?_ Hearing Inuyasha say the word added a whole other meaning to it. When Shippou said it, it was nothing but a word to her. But when Inuyasha said it… she felt his body around hers again, and her eyes slid back up to him, observing him from the corner of her eye.

Then his words really sunk in. _I wouldn't have marked you if I didn't need to…_ Kagome felt a shot of pain go through her chest. She was hardly aware of the sadness coming into her eyes, making her head and shoulders droop, but she felt it. And it was familiar to her now. So she shook her head, and raised it again to look directly at the hanyou before her.

"Inuyasha?" He didn't respond. "What does it mean, that you marked me?"

He stilled. Kagome had to look closely to see if he was even still breathing.

"Inuyasha? What does it mean?"

His ears twitched. Once. Twice. When his eyes snapped to hers she could read his thoughts. _She really doesn't know? _And in those thoughts she could see his hope. His hope that, perhaps, he could skirt the whole issue, ignore completely what had happened. And that, above anything, hurt Kagome the most.

Kagome staggered as she rose to stand, and Inuyasha was hastily shuffling to his feet.

"Kagome?"

Kagome stopped, her back to him as she was starting to walk back to the hut. She sighed, resigned herself, knowing that she'd probably end up regretting every word she spoke thereafter. Her heart already hurt.

"Inuyasha?" She turned to him, made sure he was looking her in the eyes before she continued. "We've been through a lot together, haven't we?"

"Yeah." She tried to ignore his sudden blush.

"And we are older now, right?"

"Huh," he snorted, his eyes darting away, and she took a deep breath.

"Inuyasha, I thought we had grown close…and, before Naraku was defeated…" She trailed away, not able to continue.

'We had grown close," he whispered.

Kagome's heart skipped at his near-silent words.

"Kagome, you meant a lot to me. You still do." His eyes lifted from the ground to meet with hers and he took a deep breath. "I will protect you with my life Kagome. At the time, marking you was the only thing I could have done."

"Inuyasha, and what does this marking mean?" She held her breath, waiting for the answer.

He paused, his eyes never faltering from hers, before he said, "It means I chose you as my mate."

* * *

_A quick note... This was written before chapter 544 of the manga was out, and so whatever is written here about the final battle with Naraku was created with inspiration from the Inuyasha manga up until, and including, chapter 543 (just in case anyone reading this was a little confused and wanted to know what sparked some aspects of this story - mainly the last battle with Naraku that's written here). The manga, and all the characters, of course, belong to Rumiko Takahashi._


	4. Old Wounds

**A New Wind**

Chapter 4

* * *

The forest around the tiny clearing was full of nighttime creatures. Walking through it, Miroku calmly glanced around him, but his ears and eyes and senses were open to any hint of danger, whether it was for a soft growl, the blinking of glowing eyes, or the hint of a demonic aura. 

The moon gave him enough light to see by, and there weren't many bushes or tree-roots to hamper his movements, but he walked slowly anyway. Sango worried him, and as much as he tried not to let that fact show because he knew she would hate it if he treated her as weak, he couldn't help but slow his pace and hold back the low branches for her to walk under as they made their way deeper into the trees. 

Kirara followed silently, a reassuring presence and another set of watchful eyes. After a time, when the glow of the fire could not be seen and its smoke could no longer be smelled, Kirara stopped and transformed, giving Miroku a look before silently padding off into the trees. A smile twitched on Miroku's lips before he, too, stopped and turned to Sango. Sango stared after the disappearing form of the cat-demon.

"I think she's going to stand guard," Miroku said to her. His eyes flowed over her body. She didn't look as tired as before, and her eyes were alert. 

"Why does she need to do that?" 

Miroku shrugged, his eyes sliding shut momentarily before he turned and tried to find a place where they could sit and talk. The trees were thick here, and he wanted to find a place that could be easily defended if, worse came to worse, they would have to fight and defend themselves against attack. 

They had been walking for only a few more moments before he heard Sango give a frustrated huff. He slowed his pace and Sango's steps stopped behind him. 

"Enough, Miroku," she said, and he could hear how tired she was in the deep breath she took after she spoke. "We are far enough from camp. No one can hear us. What did you bring me here for?"

Miroku stopped walking and braced himself as he turned around to face the demon-slayer. 

"I wanted to talk to you about this demon," he said. This would be discussed first. Whatever else he had to say depended how she took this first part of the conversation. 

Sango watched him with guarded eyes. 

"I figured as much."

"We need to talk about what we are going to do," he explained. "It isn't safe for you or Kagome, despite what Inuyasha thinks, and he will not be moved. We need to figure out a plan of action so you can survive this."

Sango didn't say anything when he finished his little speech. He waited, but when she still didn't say anything after a few more moments he was forced to ask her, "Sango, what do you think?"

"You dragged me out into the middle of the forest to talk about a plan of action?"

Miroku felt the air rush out of his lungs, his head drop in minor defeat at the disbelief in her voice. 

"Inuyasha won't talk about this anymore, I've already tried, and this can't be put off. You, I hope I'm right in assuming, are more reasonable than he is. Besides," he said after a moment with a glance back towards camp, "I think Inuyasha and Kagome need some time alone for a while. If only so Kagome can try to get an answer out of him about what happened before."

Sango raised an eyebrow at him. "So you left Shippou with them?"

Miroku's lips twitched. "Well, Inuyasha has been getting on my nerves for the past few hours."

Sango rolled her eyes at him before walking over to a fallen log and sitting upon it, her shoulders drooping in exhaustion. Miroku watched her carefully, his brow knitted in concern. 

"I suppose I shouldn't have brought you out here," he mused aloud, and Sango looked up and sat up straight at the consternation in his eyes. 

"I'm fine," she mumbled. He just grunted in response. After a moment more he walked up to where she was sitting and sat down beside her. She stiffened momentarily, but he ignored it. As he started to talk and they discussed nothing but battle tactics she started to relax, the familiar topics of demons and battle seeming to ease her nerves of being alone with him. 

"I doubt Inuyasha will give in and let Kagome go to her own world, even though it is safer for her, so we must think how this demon can be avoided, or fought, when we encounter him next."

"I have some poison with me still I think might work on him," Sango mused. "And I still have those stink pellets if worse comes to worse."

Miroku chucked. "Not a good plan, that last one. If Inuyasha's around when you use it, he'll be out of commission as well. Not that it might be a bad thing…"

Sango shook her head. 

"I'll try to fight as long as I can. But, Miroku, I can't promise anything." Sango's voice had gone quiet, thoughtful, and Miroku found it hard not to lean slightly closer to her to lend her his warmth and comfort, and absorb some from her own. "That demon put Kagome and me so easily into his spell. One moment I was throwing Hiraikotsu, and the next everything was gone but for the sounds of fighting. Next time, I'm not sure if he'll even give me a chance to fight. Kagome was what attracted him this first time, but next time he might put us both under right away."

"Don't worry, Sango. We'll figure a way around this." Even as he spoke reassurances to her, Miroku felt anger start in his chest. His eyes were staring at his right hand, but he didn't see how his hand was fisted around the sleeve and the beads. 

"You and Inuyasha will have to be on your guard. Kirara and Shippou, too, since Shippou seemed to sense him first." 

Miroku nodded. 

"At least then we will have some warning, and Kagome and me can at least… stand in one spot so we are easier to defend if we should be rendered useless right away." She thought for a moment. "Kagome might be able to construct a barrier or something."

"And I can do that as well," Miroku reminded her, and Sango looked up at him for a moment before sliding her gaze away. "Yes. But that would leave Inuyasha alone to face the demon."

"He'd probably enjoy that. Not that it would be practical," he added quickly when he saw Sango shoot him a disbelieving look. 

They fell silent again, both lost in their own thoughts, both keenly aware of the other's presence close by. 

Sango's hand suddenly crashed down on the log beside her, a frustrated sound breaking from her lips. Miroku looked up in surprised. 

"Sango?"  
"I hate being so useless." Her voice was relatively calm, but her eyes as they stared into the dark forest were full of angry frustration. "I'm a demon-slayer, I should be able to fight this demon."

"But you are also a woman," Miroku reminded her gently. "And that is what this demon prays off of. We are all put to disadvantages at times, depending on who, or what we are. It is nothing to be ashamed of," he added quietly after a moment. "You are strong, Sango. Let us help you in this." Sango seemed to relax beside him, but there was still an edge of frustration about her. 

Miroku watched her out of the corner of his eye. He did not lie when he said she was strong. She was the strongest woman he had ever met, stronger, even, than most men he had met. She was quick, smart, deadly with her weapon, and beautiful to boot. She was everything he had ever wanted in a woman, and everything he never thought he would find. 

And that's what had scared him the most when that demon had attacked her. Sango had flown at the demon without hesitation, her battle prowess and self-confidence in battle ringing in her voice as she released Hiraikostu. But when he had seen her body go stiff, her face confused before slipping into a blank expression, he had felt his heart nearly stop. And then the demon had fought Inuyasha as if the half-demon had barely posed any threat at all, and he had been before Sango, his arm stealing about her waist. 

He hadn't sealed Sango completely to his will, or else he had let her out of it for a moment, because she had stirred in the demon's hold, her head turning to look at him, a strange blankness still in her eyes before she seemed to come back to herself, and her hand had raised, her concealed knife appearing in her hand. And the demon had struck, with his fist against her jaw and his power against her body.

And Miroku had felt something break inside. Rage had flooded him, spurred by panic, and he had never wanted to have the Kazaana back more than in that moment. But his staff and his sutras had had to do. And so he had let them loose, and the demon had been thrown off her, throwing his demonic power at the monk. Miroku had had just enough time to construct a barrier around himself and Sango before the power had struck them. 

It was in slow motion that Sango seemed to have fallen to the ground, and he had made it to her just in time to keep her head from hitting the hard forest floor. When he had looked up from her pale features, his eyes had gone wide at the site of Inuyasha pulling Kagome away from the demon, his mouth going to her throat. His eyes had been red, and panic and despair had overwhelmed Miroku into stillness. Tessaiga lay discarded at some distance from Inuyasha, and if the hanyou's demon nature chose that moment to act against them as well, there was very little Miroku could do to protect the girls. 

But something was different about Inuyasha. His arms, though tight around Kagome, had been gentle, and as the two of them fell back onto the hard earth and against a tree Inuyasha's body had shielded the woman in his grasp, curling protectively around her. And the demon had stopped his attack, a cry of defeat and rage echoing around the clearing. 

Miroku realized, then, that what was happening to Inuyasha was different, and the seeker's words had only confirmed that for him. And so he had stood up, trying to chase the demon away and give them more time if they couldn't defeat him at that time.

"Sango," Miroku suddenly said, and Sango started, her head whipping around to meet his gaze. "I fear things are going to be changing, and changing fast, for us. This demon is different than any demon we've ever fought. No matter how much Inuyasha or you are able to fight, no matter how much of her power Kagome can use, things are getting dangerous. And things between Kagome and Inuyasha aren't going to make things easier. I think-" He paused, watching for a reaction on Sango's face. But she continued to look at him with a calm expression. "I think, if we find a safe place, and you and Kagome are able, you should stay there and wait this out."

"What!"

He knew that was coming. Sango's features were now torn between disbelief and anger. 

"I'm not being put someplace that you or Inuyasha think is safe, monk," she continued in anger. "I can fight. I've fought before. And we still have those demons in the east we need to take care of. Life will not change because of this. We've faced worse before, and we still have our own lives to live."

Miroku sighed, silently agreeing even though he'd suggested it. 

"Why would you even suggest such a thing?" Sango asked, her voice changing yet again. She seemed genuinely curious this time. "It's not like you."

"I know, Sango," he agreed. "But you have to understand, it wasn't easy to watch you and Kagome helpless. Neither I, nor Inuyasha, are at ease, no matter how much he may try to hide it."

Sango was silent, and after a moment she looked away. Something had settled between them, and Miroku knew that the second subject he wanted to talk to her about would have to be brought up soon. He took a deep breath, bracing himself, but Sango interrupted him. 

"You are right, though," she said quietly. "Things have changed for all of us… for Inuyasha and Kagome."

Miroku looked at her in surprise. She was staring at the ground, shoulders slumped as if she was very tired. 

"I don't know how much you understand of it, Miroku, but what Inuyasha did…"

"He marked Kagome," Miroku finished for her, and she jumped in surprise. "Shippou implied as much, and I do have some knowledge of dog-demons, my dear Sango. One does not travel with a hanyou for all these years without gaining some knowledge of the facts of his demon heritage."

Sango scoffed. "I guess so. But it just means that things are going to be difficult. Inuyasha doesn't seem to want to have marked her-"

"He did," Miroku interrupted her. Sango looked up at him in surprise. "He did," he reassured her. "But I don't think he realized it, really, until now. And he won't let himself admit it, not even if it's what Kagome wants as well."

Sango sighed, looking away again to stare at the ground. "Things are going to get so much more complicated for them now."

Miroku grunted absently in agreement. What he had said was true. After talking alone with Inuyasha after Kagome and Sango had been cleaned up and resting, and after gauging his reactions around Kagome when they were all gathered around the fire, Miroku was sure Inuyasha had wanted to mark Kagome, and he was equally as sure that the hanyou was just as torn about admitting it and following through with it. 

Miroku looked back to his right hand. Inuyasha wasn't the only one to have concerns. The memories of that day's battle came back to Miroku, the fear gripping him again as he thought about Sango under that demon's control, about how much danger she had been in, and guilt crept up on him. 

His staff and sutra powers had been enough to throw the demon off of her this time, but next time he wasn't so sure. That demon was powerful, and while Miroku's power was nothing to think lightly of, it had its limits. If he still had the Kazaana, he could have protected them all so much more easily. 

"Miroku?"

Sango's voice snapped him out of his contemplation, and he lifted his head up to look at her. She was staring at his hand, and he looked into his lap to see his right hand fisted in anger. He chuckled, his eyes sliding shut as he forced a smile onto his face and relaxed his grip. 

"Miroku," Sango started, and Miroku knew by the tone of her voice what was coming. "Don't think-"

"Can I ask you something, Sango?" Miroku stopped her. He didn't want to have that conversation. Not now. 

Sango remained silent for a moment and he could sense her eyes still on him. Then she sighed, and said quietly, "Yes."

"If we cannot find a way to defeat this demon, what will you do? He has marked you and Kagome as targets. We will face him again."

Sango stiffened beside him, and when she responded the anger had reentered her voice. 

"Monk, if you are suggesting what I think you are suggesting, don't even think that I-"

"My dear Sango," he replied calmly, "how can you even think that of me. What I suggest is quite honorable."

But his heart was pounding in his chest and he felt the guilt multiply within him. His eyes were still closed, but he could sense Sango turning from him, her body rigid. After a few moments, though, he heard her sigh and start to relax. 

He couldn't, however, see her face. Her eyes, so full of suspicion not a moment ago, had suddenly filled with sorrow and regret, and a hint of pain. 

"I'm not going to take the easy way out, monk," she said after a moment. "If that's what you're suggesting."

"I am in no way suggesting an 'easy way out'," was his reply, and they both fell into silence.

"Sango…" he started again after a moment, but found himself unable to continue. Miroku found himself walking a fine line between two choices, two lives. He had been walking that fine line for two years. Sango was just as strong and independent as she had always been, and he loved that about her, but there were moments when the sadness she carried around with her before Naraku had been defeated came back and made her withdraw into herself. He had hoped that would disappear with time, but two years after the final battle she was till carrying the past around with her. He looked to his right hand again. 

They all were. 

"What is it, Miroku?" Her voice was hesitant, scared almost, and he turned his head to look at her. She would not look at him, but she looked like she had withdrawn into herself, and that sadness he had hoped would never plague her again was back. 

"I want to protect you, Sango," he said quietly. His hand twitched in his lap. He couldn't protect her after the Kazaana had disappeared, not as he should have been able to. But maybe this time he could protect her, even if it was in the last way either of them ever expected. 

"I can protect myself, monk. Don't think I need your help now."

Miroku sighed. Guilt and regret had become his constant companions since that last battle. He had done all he could to try to save Sango, to try to protect her, and in the end it had barely been enough. And that had been with the Kazaana. Without it, he couldn't hope to protect her. 

And he couldn't stop her from blaming herself. She had blamed herself for her willingness to kill Rin. He had seen the sorrow on her face, and would have been able to read the story in her eyes even if she hadn't whispered it to him in the early morning hours when he was awake and could no longer sleep after restless nights of recovery. 

And he was to blame. If she hadn't been so worried about him, she wouldn't have done it. 

And so he had tried to separate himself from her. Not so much so that he would be alienated from her. No, he still loved her more than he ever imagined he could ever love a woman, but he didn't want to see her suffer, and so he had stepped back, offered her whatever she needed but kept away his love when he thought it was the only thing still bringing her pain when it came attached with memories of her decisions and weaknesses. 

Marriage? He had hoped, after Naraku's war, that they could get married. After the battle, however, despite what they had thought going in, they had both been too scarred to marry. He thought he reminded her of her weaknesses, and she thought he blamed her, and he was too full of guilt to see past her barriers and see what was really plaguing her. And so they had remained close, remained in love, and remained oblivious to how the other really felt, and the gap between them that had disappeared before the last battle had returned. 

And so, while Miroku knew he should mention what lay between them, what unspoken agreement they had to remain silent about their plans to marry before the war, he remained silent. 

After a moment, however, Sango's voice shook him out of his thoughts. It was so quiet he had to strain to hear it, and all the previous anger she had shown him was gone. 

"Miroku? Why didn't we get married after Naraku was defeated?"

Miroku closed his eyes, a sigh escaping him as his heart beat just a little bit faster. This was just what he had been avoiding. He had been avoiding it for two years, just as she had. And it still hurt, still felt like a tiny windtunnel was loosed inside his chest, sucking everything up. 

"Sango…"

"Miroku, why?"

Miroku heard Sango turn towards him, and he was obliged to turn and face her, meet her questioning gaze with his own. He had expected the questioning, the wondering, but he had not expected the sadness he saw in her eyes. 

"Sango," he said very softly. "So much was happening, so quickly. I… was not whole," he glanced down at his hand, still wrapped with the prayer beads and sleeve. Even now, he didn't feel right without the protective barriers, even if they were useless. He had lived almost his whole life with such protection, and to suddenly be without it… he couldn't do it. "I could not longer protect you properly, and you still had your life to get back in order." He sighed again. "I thought it best to wait."

He stopped, waited for her to speak. But when the silence remained, he glanced up. She was staring at him, her eyes suddenly guarded. 

"Everyone's life had to be put back together. Inuyasha was hopeless concerning his wish to become a full demon or full human, Kagome had to learn to travel between two changing worlds, you had to learn to live without your Kazaana… and I… Life was difficult for all of us." Her eyes broke contact with his for a moment, and in that moment all Miroku wanted to do was go back two years and change everything. "Life was not easy, it still isn't, but… I thought… we would be happy." 

Sango suddenly stood, shaking her hands like she was shaking off the tension from a recent battle. 

"I'm sorry Miroku," she said, and her voice was stronger, resolved. "I thought… but never mind that. We make a good team, you and I, and Inuyasha and Kagome. Let's just get this mission over with. I won't marry you now, just because you are afraid of some demon laying claim on me." And she turned to go. 

"Sango, wait!" Miroku called out to her, but she didn't stop walking. "Sango!"

And he was on his feet, his hand grabbing hers before he could think. He wasn't really thinking straight anymore. The memories of the demon's attack kept replaying in his head, and the slow, weary movements Sango made as she turned to walk back to camp where only making him lose his control even more. It was almost like all those times his hand had just happened to wander to her backside and her stinging hand print had been left upon his face before he had even realized he had made a motion towards her. 

Now, his hand wrapped around hers, and his arms were reaching around her body, pulling her close. 

"Don't go, Sango," and she was in his arms, his head resting beside hers. 

"M-Miroku?"

Her voice was shaking, and he let out a long breath. No matter how much he was ashamed of not being able to protect her, no matter how much guilt still plagued him for the decisions he had forced her into, he still cared about her more than anyone he had ever met, or would ever meet. And no matter how much it hurt, he owed her an explanation, a small one at least, if they were to make it past the demon's threat. 

"I just didn't want to see you hurt anymore… You blamed yourself for so many things… I didn't want to remind you. I saw the look in your eyes, after you came back with Rin. I didn't want to remind you… and I couldn't protect you."

Sango closed her eyes against the memories. She remembered all too well how willing she was to kill Rin in order to save Miroku, and that decision, while she never regretted it, still haunted her. Did she really love this man, this lecherous monk, that much that she'd be willing to risk killing a young girl? Especially when that young girl reminded her so much of Kohaku in so many ways? 

Yes. She did. And that's what had been so painful, after returning to him, seeing him alive and wounded, with Sesshomaru by her side as a constant reminder of the blood-debt she still owed him, thinking the entire time that she would never live past Naraku's defeat to really ever see if Miroku would ever truly be okay. 

But she had done what had to be done, what she needed to do. Even if it still hurt, knowing that she could kill a child that was not so very different from Kohaku. But Miroku had been alive, and that was all that had mattered. 

Until she thought he rejected her. They had been through so much together, faced death for each other, but that last battle had been so hard on all of them. They all had made sacrifices, and for a while afterwards, Sango had believed those sacrifices had been too much, changed them all too much. Miroku had withdrawn from her in subtle ways at first. She still loved him, and even if he still loved her, was it enough to defeat his doubt? 

But now Miroku was here, trembling with his arms around her. Maybe things hadn't changed that much… 

"Miroku?" His arms tightened around her, and she closed her eyes even tighter, her hands fisting against his back, refusing to hold on just yet. "I don't regret anything, Miroku. Just that… if things had turned out differently…" She shook her head, making a small dismissive sound. 

"Sango?" His arms loosened a bit.  
"Never mind. We should get back to camp." She sighed and started to pull away, but Miroku didn't release her. She stopped, her eyes opening to stare into the forest behind him. 

"When that demon attacked you," Miroku said after a few minutes of silence, "I was scared. I thought I would lose you."

Sango sucked in a quick breath. "You won't, Miroku. I'm too strong for that."

Miroku suddenly chuckled, and pulled back far enough to look her in the eyes, but his hands were still gripping her shoulders. "You are defiantly strong, my dear Sango."

Sango could feel the heat of a blush rise to her face and she broke eye contact with him. 

"Sango?"

She sighed. "Let's just get past these next few days," she said very quietly. "Inuyasha's not going to make the next few days very easy for us, so let me just think for a while. But I don't want you doing anything just out of a sense of duty, monk." Her eyes finally rose up to meet his. "I have always protected myself, and I will continue to do so. I still care for you… very much… but…" her voice drifted away, and Miroku was left staring at a suddenly silent taijiya. A small blush had made its way onto her cheeks, and he knew that she would be turning away from him at any moment. 

"I still want to marry you, Sango." He swallowed, bringing himself to admit what he had tried to fight for so long. But things had changed, and protection meant something different now. "I always have."

Sango nodded after a moment, her eyes not meeting his. He didn't see her mouth move, but he heard, very faintly, her whisper, 'Thank you , Miroku." And she was turning around to head back to camp. "Just give me a few days," she said at normal volume, and he watched as she started to walk away, keeping her pace slow until he fell into step beside her. 

"Do you think we gave Inuyasha and Kagome enough time?" Sango asked halfway back. 

A slight smile appeared on Miroku's face. "Only if Shippou stopped bothering Inuyasha."

Sango shook her head at his amusement, but didn't say anything. The affect of the demon was starting to weaken her again, and she could feel her muscles starting to give way. So she was glad when Miroku took a slight lead, moving branches out of her way so she didn't have to. And if his hand happened to brush hers when she passed by, she didn't respond except for the occasional blush. 

When the glow of the fire could be seen again, Sango started to slow her pace even more as she tried to listen for any hint of conversation. She didn't want to walk in on an argument, or stop a conversation if Inuyasha had actually agreed to explain the marking. But Miroku kept on walking. 

"Miroku, wait," she whispered, hoping Inuyasha's hearing wouldn't pick up their movement. "Should we disturbing them?"

A wicked smile crossed Miroku's lips. "My dear Sango, are you suggesting we spy on Inuyasha and Kagome?"

The breath rushed out of Sango in a whoosh, her eyes rolling. "Not on your life, lecher," and she pushed past her tired muscles and stepped in front of Miroku, hoping she wasn't walking in on something she shouldn't.


	5. Recovery

**A New Wind**

Chapter 5

* * *

Kagome felt as if the world had stopped. Mate? Inuyasha's mate?

"Inuyasha?" her voice came out small and almost a squeak, and his eyes darted away from her, a harsh look coming back into his eyes upon hearing her surprise.

"Don't worry," he grunted, "it's just a mark. It's just a sign that I chose you, at the moment. It's nothing permanent, and will wear away soon enough." His eyes closed and he tilted his head up. "Until it wears away, you'll be safe from that demon."

It was some time before Kagome spoke.

"What do you mean, 'nothing permanent'?"

Inuyasha huffed. "It's not a true mark," he explained. "Not really. It's a sign of… choosing. Not claiming. At least not permanently." He glanced back at her for a moment, and Kagome sucked in a breath at the hesitant look in his eyes. "I didn't break the skin," he said as if that would explain everything.

She waited for him to continue with his explanation. There was a nervous tension in her shoulders now, a feeling that had traveled up from somewhere near her stomach. But at the same time, there was that pain in her chest, the pain that kept coming back every time her mind repeated his words. _ I wouldn't have marked you if I didn't need to_.

But he remained silent. "Inuyasha," she coaxed, her voice matching his in hesitancy, "I don't know about these things. I haven't been trained like Sango, and you haven't shared a lot about your demon side with me. I don't know what any of this means. What does it mean that you… you didn't break the skin?"

Inuyasha's eyes flickered away from hers for a moment before meeting her questioning gaze again. "Only by breaking the skin are you really, irrevocably my mate," he finally continued. "Right now, my… that mark is just a warning to other demons that you've been marked as a mate… but not yet fully claimed…"

His voice trailed away, and Kagome felt a blush rising to her face. _Fully claimed?_

"Oh," she said. Silence fell between them. Kagome jumped when a log in the fire broke, sending a cascade of sparks into the sky and embers falling to burn slowly in the fire.

She didn't know where to go from there. Inuyasha was silent, and didn't appear willing to speak any time soon. He was tense, as if he were preparing for an attack, and Kagome felt that if she spoke, not only would her own heart be at risk, but Inuyasha might turn and run like he used to when things were complicated for them, for him.

"Inuyasha?" she asked, trying for a safer question than the ones building up inside of her. "What happens when it does wear away?"

Inuyasha's head dropped just a fraction.

"Then I'll still protect you."

She nodded, grunted her acknowledgement. But a sigh escaped her all the same, and as she looked away from the hanyou she saw his ears twitch as he heard her sigh, his face turning to look at her.

"Kagome?" he asked after several moments, and Kagome's eyes darted to him. He was staring at her, but a curiosity had come into his eyes. "You don't need to worry," he said. "I didn't mean to mark you like that. So you don't have to worry about being my mate. Got it?"

The breath left Kagome in a rush and she was left staring blankly at the hanyou before her.

_And so_, she thought. _And so he's decided_. And the nervous tension that had been holding her up was suddenly gone, and she felt weak in its absence. Her eyes closed, the pain of her headache coming back full force, and she turned away from the hanyou with a grunt.

Inuyasha saw her stagger as she turned from him, and he stepped forward, reaching for her incase she fell. "Kagome?" She flinched when his hand touched her arm and he pulled back his hand.

"You're so selfish, Inuyasha," she muttered before she could stop herself.

Inuyasha reeled back. "Selfish?" But she shook her head, refusing to explain. Inuyasha's expression hardened. "Hey, I said I was sorry! It won't happen again-"

"Inuyasha," she warned him into silence. Her tone was dangerous, and it was only at that moment that he noticed the tense set of her shoulders, the way her hands were shaking slightly.

"Kagome, what-" He stopped. He sniffed the air and froze. Then, "Oi! Don't cry!"

"I'm not crying, you idiot!" Kagome turned on him, and he pulled back at the tears in her eyes. They hadn't fallen yet, but they were there.

"I said I didn't-"

"Just be quiet, Inuyasha," she pleaded, and all the fight was suddenly drained out of her. Inuyasha held still, held silent just as she had asked, and watched with growing apprehension as her gaze dropped and her eyes shut. A hand came up and brushed over her forehead, like she was trying to brush a cobweb out of hair. He watched as her hand started to fall to her side, but her hand paused a moment, staying close to her body to hover over her neck once more, where her neck was starting to bruise. Her hand twitched once, like she might touch the mark, before it fell to her side.

"I don't know much about marking mates, Inuyasha, but I'm sorry if you got stuck marking someone you didn't want."

Inuyasha held silent, warily watching her.

"I hold you to nothing. I understand. Just…" She seemed to stop mid-thought. When she continued again, she looked up and held his stare. Her tears were gone. "So until your mark is gone, I'm safe from this demon. That's what you're saying?"

He nodded, his ears going back.

"And when the mark fades…"

"I'll still protect you," he finished for her.

It was her turn to nod. "And you won't have to worry about being bound to me anymore." Her words were quietly spoken, but they held force and Inuyasha found himself watching her very carefully.

"Kagome?"

But she shook her head, and forced a smile to her lips. "But thank you, Inuyasha, for what you did. I appreciate it."

Inuyasha just stared at her. A moment later he shook his head, his eyes closing as he took a step back from her, putting distance between them.

"Just don't get into trouble next time, okay?"

A sigh escaped Kagome and when Inuyasha flicked his eyes to her again her smile was gone.

"Of course, Inuyasha. You think I meant to call that demon to us?"

Inuyasha growled. "I didn't mean that."

"Of course not."

"Why are you being so defensive?"

"Why do you have to be so…" but she didn't finish her sentence. He waited, but after a moment more of looking at him, she shook her head, made a movement to sit down.

That's when he heard it, the rustling in the trees. He instantly went still, and

Kagome froze next to him. "Inuyasha?"

Kagome yipped as his arm was suddenly thrown across her body, his body placed in front of hers and his growl echoing around the clearing as he faced the forest. A moment later, the bushes were rustling and two bodies stumbled into the clearing.

Sango caught sight of the hanyou and girl and froze, a guilty expression coming to her face. Miroku stumbled after her, brushing leaves from his robes. He glanced up and froze, seeing Inuyasha standing protectively in front of Kagome. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Did we miss something?"

"Monk," Inuyasha started, but before he could say anything else Kagome sidestepped around his arm and stood by his side, a calming hand placed on his shoulder.

"No." Her eyes were glancing between the two before her. They were both glancing between Inuyasha and herself, but something about the way the two kept a small distance between themselves bothered her. "How did your talk go?"

She didn't miss Sango's small blush.

"Fine," she said, and stepped into the circle of light from the fire.

Miroku was looking around the camp, ignoring her question, or else otherwise content with Sango's answer. "Where did Shippou go?"

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed. "I told him to get lost."

Kagome sighed. "He went to go look for some more firewood." She cast a quick glance at Inuyasha. "We needed to talk alone for a moment."

Miroku nodded, a smile flitting across his face. "Get anywhere?"

"What's it to you?"

"Calm down, Inuyasha," Kagome sighed, and she sunk onto the ground next to Sango, her head starting to throb. She was surprised when Inuyasha was suddenly at her side, staring hard at her. "What?" she said.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"My head hurts," she explained, then narrowed her eyes at him. "I wonder why."

He scoffed and turned to face the fire. Everyone was silent until Shippou arrived back at camp. They could hear him struggling before they caught sight of him, and Miroku sighed and went into the woods to find the struggling kitsune. He came back with an armful of tiny branches in his arms and a tired fox demon on his shoulder.

"Next time do your own firewood collecting, Inuyasha," Shippou pouted.

"Next time I'll just use kitsune as fuel."

"Kagome!" Shippou cried as Kagome turned on Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha! That wasn't very nice."

But Inuyasha was still staring at the fox demon. "I still owe him…" he grumbled.

Kagome shook her head, closing her eyes against the headache.

"Inuyasha," she yawned, "let it go. What he did wasn't so bad."

She heard Inuyasha's grunt, signaling he didn't understand. She sighed again, but suddenly she was too tired to deal with any new barriers between them. Marking, mating… what did it matter? Her head was throbbing, and as much as her chest hurt, she didn't want to think about anything else for the night. The camp was quiet with the coming of sleep, and her body was still worn out from the demon's attack. Thinking could be saved for the morning. She was tired, and as some time passed and she felt sleep starting to claim her she felt Inuyasha's body close to hers. And she found herself leaning to her right until she felt his body against her side, his shoulder beneath her head. She let out her breath and felt him stiffen beneath her.

"I would have made you explain your actions, Inuyasha. Don't blame Shippou. Besides," she said after a moment, sleep starting to claim her, making her mind hazy, making her say things she would have kept back if dreams hadn't started to tamper with reality, "I don't mind what you did. So don't worry about it." Her heart was racing as she sped off to sleep.

Inuyasha glanced quickly around the camp, taking in everyone's reactions. But Shippou was propped against Sango's leg, already asleep, and the monk was laying out new wood he had collected on the fire. Sango was staring at the monk with half-closed eyes, and as he watched Kirara crept into the clearing, transformed into her smaller form and walked over to join the demon-slayer. No one had heard Kagome whisper what she had before drifting off to sleep.

Inuyasha sighed and after a moment he felt himself relaxing. Kagome's body, relaxed in sleep, started to fall back. His arm shot up, wrapped around her shoulders to hold her steady against him, and in sleep she sighed, her body snuggling against his. He blushed, but continued to watch her as she slept.

He couldn't prevent his eyes going to her neck, to the spot where he had marked her. He could still see, faintly, the light bruising his fangs had made against her skin. His hand twitched in his lap, his fingers wanting to reach out and touch the faint mark.

He sighed, his eyes snapping back to the woman's face as he fisted his hand in his lap.

He couldn't explain what had come over him when they were facing the seeker demon. He couldn't put into words what he had felt when he had Kagome in his arms, when he had been ready to claim her as his mate. It was irrational. It was dangerous. It was all he had ever wanted.

But his demon nature had been too close. The simple presence of the seeker demon had sparked Inuyasha's demon nature to start rising, and it was only Tessaiga's control over him that kept Inuyasha's demon nature away. When he had dropped Tessaiga, there was no longer anything binding the dog-demon part of him back, and he had done the first – the only – thing he could think of to protect Kagome.

He had tried to claim her as his mate.

And he hadn't realized until that moment how much he had wanted to. It had been hard to let her go, even if it was simply to shift his arms under her and lift her up against his chest. Her voice had called him back, calmed him down when he had been just mere moments away from breaking skin. And the horrible part about it all was that he still wanted to claim her has his, even now when his demon nature was back under control.

His demon nature put Inuyasha on edge. It was something unpredictable, something that had looked so perfect at first but turned out to be almost a curse in his inability to completely control it. He hadn't lost control like he had during the last battle with Naraku for a long time, and what had surprised him most about encountering the seeker demon, was that when he had marked Kagome he had felt completely out of control again just like all those years ago. And it had proved that he couldn't tell what he would do later, if ever he was in a _real_ position to claim Kagome as his mate. He might have no control over that demon part of him that wanted to claim her just as much as his hanyou, or even human, side wanted to claim her. It was too dangerous for her.

And that brought his thoughts to the wish he had made on the Shikon no Tama years ago. Perhaps it had been selfish to wish Kagome could keep on traveling between worlds, never really belonging to either. Perhaps he should have wished to become fully human. Perhaps he should have wished for something a whole lot better than what he had wished for. But in the end, it was the only wish that had come to his mind… for Kagome to still be able to travel between worlds. So he could continue to see her.

And in the end, it had worked out alright.

But he wouldn't risk all of that now, simply because he wanted to claim her as his.

And so all he had to do now was keep Kagome from realizing just how much he had wanted to claim her as his mate, and keep his own need and demon nature in check.

Inuyasha was brought back from his musings by the sounds of the logs settling into the fire, once again sending sparks into the night sky. He realized his fingers, despite his better judgment, were against Kagome's throat, lightly touching the bruise. Kagome shifted in her sleep, her head tilting to one side on a sigh to allow his hand better range. His eyes widened at her reaction, his heart beating just a little bit faster. He would have pulled back his hand, afraid of waking her, afraid that she would pull back, but his fingers moved up her neck with a will of their own, brushing lightly over her skin until his claws brushed her bangs out of her face. And still she didn't wake.

He sighed, his hand falling away from her into his lap again.

_Why?_ He asked her in his mind. _Why do you stay here? With me?_ He thought of all the dangers, all the times she had been almost killed, all the times she was _still_ being put into danger. And even now she kept her word, _I'll always be by your side_. "Why do I make you stay here?" he found himself whispering to her.

"You don't." Kagome breathed the words, and his eyes snapped to her face. But she was only talking in her sleep.

Inuyasha sighed, turning his head to the fire as he let his eyes drift half-closed with the fire's warmth on his front and Kagome's warmth at his side. He breathed in deeply, letting the moment exist only in her scent and her warmth and the night around them. Just for tonight, perhaps, he wouldn't allow himself to think of tomorrow. It was too complicated to think past that.

* * *

Miroku sat back after putting the last log on the fire, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. He looked up at the tiny party, his eyes roaming over Sango's now sleeping form before settling on Inuyasha and Kagome. He sighed. Those two…

He had thought Inuyasha's instincts that morning would have kick-started something between them, but the hanyou seemed to be as stubborn as ever. Things had been good between them the past two years, though strained sometimes. And Miroku was sure he knew why. Kagome had told him that even in her world now she was considered an adult. They all were, and with Inuyasha still keeping his distance, it had to be confusing.

Miroku studied the couple. For once Inuyasha wasn't keeping close watch on the tiny party. His eyes were closed and he looked as if he might be asleep. His arm was tight around Kagome, and if Miroku hadn't known any better he would have said that they had both accepted Inuyasha's claim to making Kagome his mate.

But Miroku had seen the two of them watching each other with guarded glances. And there was that sadness in Kagome's eyes that always came to her if Inuyasha was pulling away. Nothing had been resolved between them, and that meant that things were going to be difficult for all of them now. Those two would be skirting around each other, and Sango… Miroku shook his head. Nothing was going to be easy.

This seeker demon, whoever he was, was dangerous. And he just complicated things. They would have to be on their guard constantly now. Especially if they were to protect the girls. Miroku glanced between Inuyasha and Kagome before sitting back and watching over the small group. Perhaps, though, if they all survived this, things wouldn't turn out too bad in the end. It never had before, exactly, so why should this time be any different?

* * *

The afternoon sun danced on the dirt and grass beneath their feet as Kagome once again followed Inuyasha through the forest. She had fallen back since the morning and was now taking up the rear of the party. It was warm out, and while that did wonders for her still-recuperating body, it also tired her out more quickly.

It felt like getting over the flu, this recuperating after the demon's attack. All of the previous day she and Sango had been able to do little more than rest by fire pit or take short walks to collect firewood or get some small exercise. Shippou had watched them relentlessly, and despite Inuyasha's occasional harassing of the young kit, things had been relatively peaceful for a day of tense inactivity.

This morning had been slightly different. Kagome would have been surprised if Inuyasha had got a wink of sleep, because as soon as the sun was starting to peak over the horizon she was woken up by his shuffling around outside the hut. Miroku, woken as well, had glanced over at Kagome before standing and stalking out of the hut. Kagome had tried to tune their voices out, but had been unable to.

"You need to give them more time, Inuyasha," Miroku had said. "They still need to regain their strength."

"How much strength do they need?" was the impatient hanyou's response. "We'll probably make it to the village by the end of the day, and they can rest there all they want."

"I know you're worried about-"

"Who said anything about being worried?" Disbelief was obvious in his voice. "I'm just tired of sitting around this dump." There were several moments of silence, after which Inuyasha's defensive "What?" could be heard. Kagome could just guess what look the monk had been giving the half-demon.

In the end, as soon as the sun had risen and the girls were up, they were moving again, and they had been moving ever since except for a short stop for lunch.

Sango had given in an hour ago and was now riding on Kirara's back. Every once in a while she would throw a glance back at Kagome, offering her a ride as well, but Kagome always refused. Her legs were starting to shake under her, and she felt as if she could fall asleep at any moment, but she wouldn't show weakness. Not now, and not to Inuyasha with him already on edge. He tried to hide his concern, and he did it through his mask of impatience and defensiveness, but Kagome could see through that. They all could after travelling together for so long.

And so, she would try to make things as normal as possible and keep walking, no matter how tired she ended up being.

"If we stay a few days at most," Miroku was saying, "We should be able to get a pretty good idea of what's been going on in the east, as well as restock on supplies and get some more rest."

Inuyasha scoffed. "I don't want to hang around too long."

Miroku shot the hanyou a glare. "We won't, Inuyasha."

There was an awkward silence after that, and from walking behind everyone Kagome was able to observe all their reactions. Inuyasha's arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes darting through the trees looking for signs of danger. Shippou was perched on Kirara's back with Sango.

Sango, meanwhile, had been throwing the monk small looks all day. Kagome didn't know what was going on between them, but the closer they got to the village, the tenser Sango got, and the more detached Miroku became. Throughout all of yesterday and that morning, he had stayed by Sango's side, making sure she didn't overuse whatever energy she had regained. But as the day had worn on, he had slowly separated from her, so that now, as Kagome watched, there was a distance between them again, one only bridged by the occasional glance one happened to throw the other.

Kagome sighed, shaking her head as she looked down at the forest floor to concentrate on where she was walking. She would never understand those two. Not now. And she was too tired at the moment to do anything more than wonder at them.

"Hey, Kagome!"

Kagome looked up to see Shippou hopping down from Kirara's back to run to her before jumping up and settling on her shoulder. Kagome sighed under the added weight, but remained quiet.

"Do you think this village will be safe for you guys?"

Kagome looked up at the kit, seeing everyone else in their party throw them surprised glances as well.

"What do you mean, Shippou?"

"I mean," he continued, looking ahead in the direction they were walking in, "if this seeker demon attacked us in the middle of the forest, do you think he'd attack in the middle of a village?"

Kagome stumbled. Shippou's hands gripped her shoulder tightly to hold on.

"I'm sure we'll be fine, Shippou," Sango said. "I doubt the seeker demon will want to attack in the middle of a village full of men. You don't need to worry."

Shippou nodded. "I'm just making sure for you guys," he said after a moment. "As long as you're safe."

Inuyasha laughed. "Yeah, right, Shippou," he said. "You're just worried about your own hide."

"That's not true, Inuyasha!" the kit shot back. "I'm not that selfish!"

Inuyasha winced, and Kagome saw his eyes flicker to her as he remembered the last time he had been called selfish.

"Inuyasha doesn't mean it, Shippou," Kagome tried to sooth him. "And Inuyasha." The hanyou flicked his glance her way, his eyes narrowing in apprehension. "Don't tease Shippou."

"I wasn't teasing," Inuyasha snapped as he turned his back on her. "I was serious."

Kagome shook her head, her eyes closing for a moment. Shippou hopped off her shoulder again to walk beside Inuyasha, his voice chirping into the calm afternoon air, broken only by Inuyasha's short answers in response.

As they continued to walk, Kagome found her mind drifting farther and farther from their group. Sango had offered her a seat on Kirara again, and as tempting as it had been, one glance at Inuyasha and his questioning gaze had her declining. Only a few more hours, she reasoned with herself, and she could sleep.

"Kagome?"

Kagome's head snapped up at Miroku's voice. He had stopped, and was looking back at her.

"Are you alright?"

She forced a smile to her face. "Of course," she reassured him, and after a moment he had turned back around to keep walking. But Inuyasha, she noticed, was walking closer to her now, and as she looked up at him she caught him staring at her.

He smirked, his eyes closing before he closed the last gap between them and stopped before her, his back to her. She was forced to stop, and took a step back when he crouch on the ground.

After a moment of silence he looked back at her. "What are you waiting for, idiot. Get on."

Her first instinct was to refuse. But despite everything, his voice was soft, gentle, and she found that her legs were really shaking now, not just tired.

"Inuyasha-"

"Don't argue," he said, and before she knew what had happened he was moving back, hooking his hands around her legs and standing. Her arms shot out, folding around his neck to keep from falling back as her legs clamped around his waist. She let out a gasp, but as Inuyasha started walking she realized how stable she was with his hands holding her to him.

An awkward silence fell between them, but as they continued walking, Kagome found the sun and the warmth and the rhythm of Inuyasha's step to be a type of hypnosis, and her eyes started to close, her head starting to drop down. After rousing herself from the edge of sleep for the third time, she heard Inuyasha sigh beneath her.

"Hey Miroku!" he suddenly called out, and Kagome snapped her head up to look at the monk, who stopped and stared at them.

"What, Inuyasha?"

"How far away is this village?"

A small smile came to the monks face. "At this rate, we'd probably make it there by the early hours of the morning. If we move faster, we could get there in a few hours."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Fine."

And Miroku turned around, throwing a questioning look at Sango before nodding. Kagome grasped tighter onto Inuyasha as he started to run, but as the group settled into a kind of lope through the trees, Kagome let her grip tighten on him. He held her up, and when her eyes drifted closed again, with the wind warm in her face, she couldn't help but let her head fall to Inuyasha's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Kagome."

Kagome's eyes snapped open at Inuyasha's soft whisper.

"Inuyasha?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated. Then, "We'll make it to the village by nightfall."

Kagome nodded, let her eyes close once more.

"I know," she said, and let sleep claim her.

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay with getting this chapter posted. I was traveling around Europe for two weeks (the joys of studying abroad) and then spent last week recuperating. But everything's getting back to normal now, so that shouldn't happen again. Thanks for your patience :o) _


	6. The Dead Come Home

**A New Wind**

Chapter 6

* * *

The village, when Kagome saw it in the light of day, was rather small and dingy. They had arrived late the night before, but the light of the moon hadn't been enough to properly see by. Even if it had been, Kagome had been too tired to look around. She could see Inuyasha sniffing the air, his eyes scanning the village, as Miroku talked to the headman and arranged for their sleeping quarters. When Inuyasha had grunted assent as their group was led to a large room with a division down the middle of it for their quarters, it had been proof enough of the safety of the place, and so she hadn't tried to look around and see more of the village before drifting into an exhausted sleep.

Now, though, she was wondering if she would have slept so soundly if she _had_ seen the village.

The huts, while plentiful in number and large in size, all looked as if they hadn't seen any repair in years, and the chickens that pecked at the occasional front stoop for spilled crumbs and scraps of food all looked a little too scruffy for Kagome's liking.

Miroku seemed to have the same idea. He was standing beside Kagome, watching the villagers walk past on the way to their daily chores, his expression bland as he sighed heavily.

"What's the matter, monk," Inuyasha pressed as he stepped up to the other side of Kagome. "Not rich enough for you?"

Miroku heaved another sigh. "Not at all, Inuyasha. I'm just sad to say there doesn't seem to be much to do in this village. Our skills don't seem to be needed here."

"But that's not what we're here for, is it," Inuyasha said, sarcasm lacing his tone. "So it's a good thing we're here to just rest."

Miroku smiled, but Kagome thought it made him look like he was rather in pain.

Just then, Kirara came scampering over to the small group. Sango was walking close behind her, and as she stopped before them Kagome noticed for the first time how stiffly the demon-slayer held herself.

"Sango?" she asked.

"The village headman and elders wish to speak with us," she said, looking at them all in turn.

"About what?" Inuyasha sounded as if he had been insulted.

"We talked to them last night," Miroku said a bit more calmly. "We explained to them already that all we wanted was a few nights rest and some supplies. We even paid them ahead of time."

Sango shifted her weight to one foot, her arms crossing over her chest. "I think that's what they want to talk to us about. They don't seem too thrilled this morning about something."

Kagome could feel Inuyasha tense beside her.

"They didn't have a problem last night," the hanyou said.

Sango just shrugged. Her eyes went to the ground, searching for something, and when she didn't seem to find it her brow creased in confusion. "Where's Shippou?"

"He found some playmates," Kagome said, turning towards the hut they had been given to sleep in. Sango chuckled when she saw Shippou showing some of the village children the crayons Kagome had given him. All of the children were girls.

Inuyasha scoffed. "That brats gonna turn out just like Miroku, if he's not careful." He turned from the smiling Shippou and ignored Miroku's half-spoken exclamation of defense as he started walking towards the hut the village elders had been in last night. "C'mon. Let's get this over with."

Kagome followed silently, an uncomfortable feeling settling into her stomach. Sango was on edge, and that enough was to give her warning. But now Inuyasha was tense as well, and that never boded well for discussions. She looked up to see what Miroku's reaction was to all this, but his face was uncharacteristically blank. He was watching Sango carefully, but no emotion was showing on his face.

As they got to the hut, the headman was waiting for them outside the door.

"Thank you for coming," he said, bowing his head. "I'm sorry if we've asked you to break your rest."

"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha said, walking past the headman into the hut. "Let's just get this over-"

"You didn't disturb us," Kagome cut in over Inuyasha. She stopped before the headman and offered him a smile. He didn't return it. "We've been up and walking around for quite a while."

Again, the headman's head bowed, just slightly this time, and he motioned her inside the tent. "I'm glad to hear it," he said. But his voice was flat, and Kagome shuffled nervously after Inuyasha.

Something had changed from last night. Even as out of it as she had been when they had arrived, she could still tell that something was different. As she stopped and waited by Inuyasha's side for Miroku and Sango to enter the hut behind her, she looked around at the village elders. They were looking at her carefully, their eyes flickering from one member of the small group to the next as they entered the hut.

"How can we be of service," Miroku said, his voice smooth and his smile friendly as he faced the waiting elders.

"I suppose you rested well last night," a woman spoke from the center of the small group. There were four elders, two male, two female, each one solemn as they stared at the group. Kagome couldn't remember their names, but the woman who was speaking had been the woman who had greeted them last night. She was sure of it.

"We did. We thank you for your kindness last night," Sango said. "We realize we arrived late."

The woman shook her head. "I'm glad," was all she said. Then, "How long do you intend to stay here?"

There was silence from the group. Kagome could only stare. No one was smiling, and the woman's tone was just barely genial. What had happened to warrant such behavior? The elders had been kind last night, concerned even, as they had arrived. Now, it seemed as though the elders were almost afraid of them.

"We had hoped to stay at least another night or two," Miroku said. "We have been travelling for a while now, and the rest would be greatly needed."

"What rest would a demon, a monk, and a taijiya need," one of the men said. His eyes fell to Kagome, assessing, only to turn away, dismissing her, as he stared hard at Miroku. "You look strong enough. I dare say rest is the last thing you need. And a demon shouldn't need any rest at all. What is it you are here for?"

Inuyasha's fists clenched at the implied insult, his body starting to shake. Kagome reached out a hand and touched his arm. Inuyasha nearly jumped, but he seemed to relax a bit at the contact. He didn't take his eyes off the man that had spoken.

"As I've said," Miroku continued, his tone guarded, "we've been travelling for a while now. A few days ago we encountered a demon and sustained a few wounds. We are still trying to recover."

"I see no wounds." The man's eyes swept over Sango's figure, then Kagome's, and Inuyasha stepped forward.

"What is it with you," he snapped. He ignored Miroku saying his name in warning. "Last night you were more than willing to help us. What is it all of a sudden that makes you so afraid. Don't deny it," he snapped as the man started to calmly open his mouth to speak. "I can smell it on every one of you."

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered, moving closer to him to take hold of his arm. Inuyasha growled softly as her hand went around his elbow, and he took a step back to push her away from the elders.

Something didn't feel right, and she could tell by the way Sango was looking towards the door and Miroku's hand had gripped his staff tighter that they felt it too.

A sound from outside broke the tension in the room. Every head turned towards the door, and Kagome felt her stomach lurch when the noise sounded again.

"That's Kirara," Sango nearly-whispered, and Miroku was halfway to the door before the demon-slayer could move, but was stopped as a russet ball careened through the door. Inuyasha staggered back as Shippou landed on his shoulder, pointing at the door before he had even caught his breath from running.

"Kagome!" he cried, anger written in the pout on his face. "They took my crayons!"

Kagome stared blankly at him. Then Inuyasha was wrapping his hand around the kitsune's tail, prying him off his shoulder to hold him in front of his face.

"What are you whining about now, Shippou-"

"And they broke them!"

Kagome sighed, hanging her head and holding out her hands to pry Shippou from Inuyasha's hold.

"I'll bring you some more, Shippou," she said as she hugged the Kitsune to her chest, trying to calm him down. "This isn't the time," she said softly to him. But as he looked up at her, there were tears in his eyes, and she realized that crayons weren't what he was really complaining about.

Kirara darted into the tent a moment later, dashing past Miroku's stunned expression to stand beside Sango, her fur standing on end. She was growling softly, and there was a wad of mud on her back. The sound of running feet skidded to a halt outside the hut.

"We can't follow them in there," a small boy's voice hissed. "The elders-" Someone shushed him, and then the scuffling could be heard again as the small group ran away, tiny cheers sounding and getting softer with their retreat.

Inuyasha was taut as a bow string beside her, and Kagome glanced at Miroku nervously. Things had completely changed from last night.

"What were those kids doing to Shippou and Kirara." Inuyasha's words weren't a question, but almost a threat.

But the elders were calm. And for the first time Kagome saw anger leak out from their eyes.

"Nothing they hadn't been provoked to do," the man spoke again. "We don't protect _demons_ in this village."

Shippou started to retaliate, but Kagome slapped a hand over his open mouth.

"If we are to be treated like this, we deserve an explanation." Miroku's voice held none of its usual warmth.

"We owe you none." The woman stepped forward, looking at them all in turn. "We don't know what you people do, or who you are, but you are no longer welcome in our village." Her eyes lingered longest on Inuyasha.

"We will leave," Kagome spoke as Inuyasha opened his mouth. "But can I ask why this sudden change?" Something flitted over the woman's face, something very much like a strange combination of anger and pain. "Has something happened?"

"You have no right to ask that." The woman's voice was like venom, and for the briefest moment her eyes flickered to Kagome's neck, where a light mark still remained even days after Inuyasha had marked her.

The movement was too fast. One moment, Inuyasha was standing by Kagome's side, and the next he was in front of her, his teeth bared.

"What are you implying, old woman?" Inuyasha challenged, and Kagome could hear his growls echoing around the hut.

"Inuyasha." Miroku was standing in front of him now, placing himself between the elder and the hanyou.

"We will leave," Miroku addressed the elders and the headman. "We are sorry for any inconvenience. Thank you for giving us aid last night."

Kagome took his queue and stepped forward, linking her arm around Inuyasha's and tugging hard when he refused to follow her. When he finally budged, she followed Sango out of the hut, Kirara now in the demon-slayer's arm, her hair still bristled.

"What happened here?" Kagome asked as they arrived at their hut only to find that Hiraikotsu and Kagome's arrows, bow, and backpack had been thrown out into the doorway. She released Inuyasha's arm, putting Shippou on the ground to quickly check and make sure nothing had been stolen or ruined. But everything seemed to be in order.

"I don't know," Sango replied absently, retrieving Hiraikotsu, her hands shaking in anger. Her eyes were scanning the villagers. A few villagers had gathered outside their huts, watching the small group. "Something must have happened last night or this morning. But I can't sense anything."

"Neither can I," Miroku corroborated. "But we best move on. Let's go."

Kagome stood up, shifting the backpack and quiver of arrows onto her shoulders. Inuyasha was close to her, his eyes and ears moving rapidly to gather in information from the villagers. Shippou was now on the hanyou's shoulder, his fists gripped tightly in anger onto the robe of the fire-rat.

"Shippou," Kagome asked as she started walking and Inuyasha fell into step beside her, "what happened?"

"These kids stole the crayons you gave me and broke them, and when I asked them what they were doing they started chasing me and the kids I was playing with, saying stuff about being a demon." He sniffed suddenly, but he was still putting on his display of anger. "And Kirara came over." His head swiveled around to Kirara. "Thanks, Kirara," he finished.

Kirara mewed, jumping onto Sango's shoulder. The mud was slowly drying into her fur.

As they were walking, more and more villagers were gathering outside their doors. All chores seemed to have stopped. Instead, everyone was gathered to watch the small band leave the village. The whispering started, and Kagome felt Inuyasha quicken the pace.

"Shit," he cursed, his hand falling to Tessaiga.

"Inuyasha?" Sango looked back at him.

"Miroku," he said, ignoring Sango for the moment, "I smell death here."

Miroku uttered his own curse, unconsciously stepping closer to Sango.

"I don't know why, but I didn't sense it before now," Inuyasha muttered, keeping his voice soft so only they could here him.

"I still don't sense anything amiss," Miroku added. "Except for the hostility."

Inuyasha simply nodded. "Something's not right here."

A sob broke through the tension in the air, and Kagome nearly stopped walking. Her eyes scanned the faces of the villagers, looking for the source, and a moment later her eyes fell upon the weeping form of a woman. A young man stood with his arm around her, his hand patting her back. His expression, however, was stricken, and Kagome knew that he wasn't seeing very much of anything before him.

A figure entered the village, a man holding a woman in his arms. It wasn't until they drew closer that Kagome realized the young woman the man carried was pale, her features slack in death. She gasped, and felt herself unconsciously step forward, as if she might be able to help, but Inuyasha's hand was suddenly gripping her arm, holding her back and pulling her closer to him. She looked up at him, and saw his eyes glued to the dead woman, grim knowledge hardening his features.

When Kagome looked back at the dead woman, her heart seemed to lurch into her throat, making her dizzy for a moment. There was blood on the woman's neck, and if she hadn't known better, Kagome would have said it was in the exact spot on the woman's neck as Inuyasha's mark was on Kagome's own neck. Kagome shivered, stepping closer to Inuyasha as the man who was holding the dead woman looked up, his eyes going to Inuyasha before settling on her. There was anger there, and grief. And blame.

A man broke away from the crowd that had gathered to watch the dead being brought home, the travelers making their exit. His movements were calm, un-hostile, and Kagome broke her nervous gaze from him to watch the man duck into a hut with the dead girl's body.

The sound of someone spitting brought Kagome's attention back from the dead, and just as her head turned around Kagome jumped back from the spit that landed at her feet. If she hadn't jumped back it would have landed on her.

The scrape of metal against leather caused Kagome's heart to go into overdrive, her hands reaching for Inuyasha as he stepped towards the man who had detached himself from the group. Inuyasha's name was on her lips as she grabbed his arm, but he was too fast, and his free hand was ready to strike.

Miroku was there, anger like authority on his face as he stepped up to Inuyasha and grabbed the hanyou's arm.

"Inuyasha, let's go." It wasn't a request, and Inuyasha froze, his eyes glued to the man who had spat. The man was staring wide-eyed at the hanyou, any semblance of hostility gone with a growling opponent before him.

Very slowly Inuyasha relaxed his stance. Another moment crept by before he took a step back, tugged his arm from Miroku's grasp, and sheathed Tessaiga.

"Keh. You're not worth my time," he growled, turning around and starting to walk away. Kagome felt her eyes widen as he stepped towards her, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment before flickering quickly away. But his body moved slightly behind hers, so that as he walked forward he forced her to walk forward as well, away from the man who had threatened her. Kagome looked back, craning her neck around Inuyasha to see what Miroku was doing as he hung back. He was glaring at the man, his gaze threatening, and the man stumbled back. Only then did the monk step up behind Inuyasha, bringing up the rear as they left the village.

No one else dared to approach the retreating travelers, and Kagome was grateful. Sango's grip was tight on Hiraikotsu, and Kagome's own hands were itching to grasp an arrow for safety. Inuyasha was glaring at anyone who dared to look at them, and Miroku was not much better. Shippou had abandoned Inuyasha's shoulder when the hanyou had jumped forward to defend Kagome, and was now sitting on Kagome's shoulder. She could feel his trembling against her neck.

They were almost out of the village when the men and women started moving again, and their whispering got louder.

Kagome tried to ignore the voices. She didn't want to hear what they were saying. Not after what she presumed they were thinking. She new, without anyone saying anything, all eyes had been on the mark on her neck. It wasn't hard to imagine what had happened to that young woman, and Kagome felt herself shaking as they passed out of the village, her eyes snapping to Inuyasha for a sign of danger from the forest. But he didn't seem to sense anything.

They had cleared the village gates when the villager's voices rose in crescendo.

"Motekuro," one voice said particularly loudly. "Motekuro is back."

A cold sensation shot down Kagome's spine, a slow cascade of water, and Inuyasha's hand on her arm tightened.

They had a name.


	7. Pulse

**A New Wind**

Chapter Seven

* * *

By the light of the fire, Kagome could see that the mud in Kirara's fur was almost completely gone. It had taken them some time to choose their camp that night, walking into the forest as Inuyasha sniffed at the air and his ears swiveled for any sounds of approaching enemies. Miroku had been using his power as well, searching for demonic auras as they walked among the trees. Hours later they had chosen a tiny grove to settle in. The earth was slightly damp and they could hear the tiny trickling of a river close by, but there was little animal life to bother them. The river might have attracted animals, but it seemed the dampness of the place steered them clear of the grove. A demon might not be much different, and so they chose to abide the damp ground for the extra sense of safety they all seemed to be craving.

Kirara had started to clean her fur as soon as Miroku started lighting a fire, but Sango had already collected a jug of water and sat down, picking up the cat-demon and settling her into her lap with a damp cloth running over the yellow fur. Kirara mewed, but the motions seemed to keep Sango busy, keep her mind on something other than demons and villagers, and Kirara had kept still ever since.

No one had spoken much. Kagome glanced around at the tiny party, the ramen in her cup half-eaten and growing cold in her hand. Inuyasha had finished his ramen quickly, as usual, but as she had made it he had been more focused on the surrounding forest than on the warming noodles near the fire. That alone would have been hint enough that he was on edge.

He sat still now, Tessaiga resting across his lap in its sheath. His eyes were always moving, always scanning the forest, his ears twitching, and Kagome found her nerves in flux. She was comforted that he was keeping such a close eye on their surroundings, in case the demon appeared, but the fact that he had to do such a thing made her nervous and on edge.

"Tomorrow we can continue traveling east," Miroku was saying, shifting into a more comfortable position against the tree trunk he had chosen for his watch position. "If we move fast enough, we might be able to leave that village far behind us."

Sango nodded, but Kagome remained motionless. Shippou sniffed where he rested against her knees and she put a hand to his back, offering him comfort.

"Miroku?" she ventured hesitantly a moment later.

Miroku's eyes snapped up to her, his expression tired. "Yes?"

"Is it the wisest thing to leave so suddenly? Like this?"

Sango's hand faltered where it was working the last of the mud out of Kirara's fur, and Miroku's eyes grew wider as he stared at her. Shippou went stiff under her hand, and Kagome didn't need to look at Inuyasha to know that his eyes were no longer scanning the trees, that his ears were trained solely on her.

"What do you mean, Kagome?" Sango asked after a moment.

Kagome sighed. "I mean, if this demon is attacking others now, don't we… need to do something?" She paused in the silence that met her ears. Then, quietly, she added, "They knew his name. This can't be the first time he's struck there, at that village."

The silence continued, and Kagome shifted nervously. Her heart was beating hard in her chest. She didn't like saying what she had. She didn't want to have to face that demon again. Motekuro, they had called him. But whenever she thought back to that weeping woman, to the look on the man's face as he carried the limp form of the girl into the hut, her heart constricted painfully.

"Fighting demons is what we do," she continued, but Miroku opened his mouth before she could get much of anything else out.

"I see your point," he began, and his eyes closed, a contemplative expression coming upon his face. "Maybe we should explore this a little more…" but his voice trailed away, and Kagome didn't miss the tension in the monk's jaw.

"Are you crazy, wench?"

Kagome spun around to face Inuyasha. He was glaring at her, real anger in his eyes this time.

"Inuyasha?"

"You're not going back to that village," he explained shortly.

An eyebrow shot up in surprise. "What-"

"I think Inuyasha's right, Kagome," Sango broke in. Her hand had resumed its motion, brushing over Kirara's now clean fur. "As much as we would like to help, I don't think going back right now would be the best choice."

"Why not?"

"Are you blind?" Inuyasha growled. Kagome turned on him, anger making her fists clench. But when she faced him, she was taken aback. He was still glaring at her, but his hand was fisted around Tessaiga, and there was a hint of fear in his eyes. "You're not going near those villagers."

Kagome stiffened. "I know they were a little hostile," she put forward. "But we can't do nothing."

"We won't," Miroku opened his eyes again, glancing between the hanyou and miko. "We started a mission, we need to finish it. These centipede demons are still what we need to look at. The rumors of their destruction are too powerful for them to be merely regular centipede demons. And we cannot forget that this Motekuro has reasons to follow us himself." He hesitated, shot a look at Inuyasha before continuing, as if he was gauging the hanyou's reaction. "As much as I hate to say it, our presence in that village might have been what provoked that attack in the first place."

Kagome's heart lurched. She hadn't thought of that. She hadn't wanted to think of that.

"Going back might cause more problems than it would solve," Miroku finished quietly. "We had best move on in the morning. We can see what happens then."

Silence, so familiar now, seemed to settle around the clearing. But it was full of tension, and Kagome couldn't help but shift restlessly.

She understood the need to move on, but she still didn't like leaving the village on its own. But if their staying in the village had caused that attack, then they would be right to just move on.

But that meant that Motekuro would be following them, if it meant their leaving would make the village safe. Kagome froze, her eyes glued on the ground, her hand tight around the cup of Ramen in her hand. Either way, whatever decision they all came to tonight, they lost.

If they chose to go back to the village and try to help them, despite the village's hostility towards the group, then it would put them right in the midst of Motekuro's hold. They would meet him again, undoubtedly, because that was what they would go there to do: meet him and destroy him. If they chose to move forward, leave the village on their own to recover, it would be because they expected Motekuro would follow them, leave the villagers to get on with their lives, start to heal their grief. It would mean that they expected Motekuro to follow them, chase them. Encounter them. And they would face him, try to destroy him either way.

No matter what, they were preparing to face the demon now. Kagome shivered, placing her ramen cup on the ground before wrapping her arms tight around her stomach. The memory of the demon still chased her into her dreams, and despite the few days of rest she still didn't feel entirely recuperated yet. Seeing what he had done to the village girl had renewed her memory of him, and both enraged and terrified Kagome, just as it made her want to fight the demon and yet stay as far from him as she could.

Kagome looked up from the ground, her eyes flickering over her companions. Shippou was silent by her knees still, his eyes trained on the fire in silent contemplation. Sango was still brushing Kirara's fur, her eyes following her hand's movement but not really seeing anything. Miroku's eyes were closed again, but Kagome knew he was on full alert and gathering his strength around him. Kagome's eyes fell last on Inuyasha and lingered there. He was back to scanning the forest, keeping a vigilant watch, but his hand was still fisted around Tessaiga, his knuckles white. He was tense, too tense.

"Inuyasha?" her voice was a whisper, only loud enough for Inuyasha's ears, and Shippou's since he was so close. She felt Shippou shift against her knee to look up at her, but she kept her gaze on Inuyasha as he turned to look at her, his gaze guarded.

"What?" he snapped.

Kagome stared at him. Something was wrong. He was as taught as a bow string, and he looked like he might break at any moment. She pointedly glanced down at his hand around Tessaiga, and he flinched, his hand loosening just a bit.

"How's your shoulder?" she asked instead of the more obvious question. He seemed taken aback by her chosen question. Unconsciously he seemed to shift his shoulders, then his eyes tore away from hers and he went back to scanning the forest.

"It's fine," he grumbled, and Kagome shook her head. She stood and went to her backpack, pulling out the medical kit just incase. Inuyasha glanced nervously up at her when she knelt by his side, and she couldn't help but notice his grip on Tessaiga tighten again. He protested when she started to tug at his haori, but once she threatened to sit him, he remained still and silent. She settled more comfortably beside him, tugging the bandages away from the wound. Her brow knitted in concern when she saw the still raw skin, but for the most part the wound was healed.

"It still isn't completely gone," she muttered, and Inuyasha's ears twitched at her whispered words. "Does it hurt at all?"

"Keh. Like it would."

Kagome sighed, shaking her head, but then focused on what she really wanted to ask him. She glanced at Shippou, who had stood up when she had and gone to rummage in her pack for more ninja food.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha's ears twitched again, and she felt him stiffen once more.

"What are you talking about, wench?"

Kagome sighed, sat back on her heals as she continued to unwind the bandages from around his chest. She tried to ignore that her hands were shaking, that Inuyasha seemed to grip Tessaiga even tighter, and that for some reason she felt as if the mark on her neck was tingling.

"Something's bothering you," she continued. "What is it?" She paused. "Is it-"

She broke off. Inuyasha shifted and looked at her. "Kagome?"

She shook her head, dipping her head down so he couldn't see her eyes as she removed the last of the bandages.

"Why are you so tense?" she finally asked him, her voice still too quiet for anyone but Inuyasha to hear.

It took Inuyasha many moments to respond. And even then it was to shift away from her hand that had come to unconsciously rest on his just barely healed shoulder, and to say, "I'm not. I just want to be moving on is all."

Kagome risked a glance up at him. "Do you sense danger?"

He shook his head, keeping his eyes away from her. "Not exactly." Then, "Go to bed, Kagome." Kagome felt her heart clench painfully in her chest. His words were still a whisper, but they had dropped even lower, and for a moment she thought she saw his eyes lose the edge, go softer. But then he was glancing at her again and the reserved look was back. "We're moving out early tomorrow."

Kagome stared at him a moment, not sure why she still felt as if something was wrong, that he was hiding something from her. She glanced down at his hand that still held Tessaiga, and saw him visibly try to relax his grip again.

"Fine," was all she said as she stood, grabbed up the medical box and the used bandages. She tossed the bandages into the fire, watched the flames slowly consume the cloth that was flecked with Inuyasha's blood. She heard Shippou shift from beside her backpack, the crinkling of a potato chip bag as he stuffed it back into the pack. She sighed, turned from the fire and stuffed her medical box back in before she pulled out a small blanket and went to rest beside Sango. Shippou crawled into her lap a moment later, and Kagome leaned back against a tree, closing her eyes and hoping that demons wouldn't follow her into her dreams, her mind still seeing Inuyasha's hand gripping Tessaiga as if it was a last lifeline to hold onto.

* * *

It was near midnight when Inuyasha finally looked away from the trees and looked carefully at the sleeping girl with the kitsune in her lap. His blood had calmed down, and Tessaiga was beating a steady rhythm into his palm, setting a steady rhythm for his hanyou heart.

_Foolish girl_, he thought restlessly. He shifted where he sat, pulled Tessaiga upright to rest against his shoulder as he uncurled his hand from around its sheathed blade. He flexed his fingers, moving them out of their stiffness.

"Are you calmer now?"

Miroku's subdued voice had Inuyasha's guard snapping back up, his eyes darting to the monk's still form.

"I thought you were sleeping," Inuyasha snapped, keeping his voice low as well. He glanced at Sango and Kagome, both of who were sound asleep. Shippou and Kirara were dead to the world as well.

"You think I can sleep anymore than you can?"

Inuyasha grunted.

"What are we going to do?" Miroku asked into the night. He kept his tone level, unconcerned, but Inuyasha could pick up on slight waver in his heartbeat.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha tested.

Miroku's eyes finally opened and settled on the hanyou. And Inuyasha knew things had gone way past complicated.

"Either way now, we are facing that demon again." He glanced away, his eyes passing over the girls as they slept peacefully. "And they know it."

Inuyasha shrugged, feeling the newly healed skin flex over the joint, remembering how Kagome's fingers had been warm and comforting on his shoulder earlier that night.

"We're strong," Inuyasha said, his voice showing his confidence even though he felt himself go just a little colder inside. "We'll defeat him."

Miroku sighed, and when he spoke next, a hint of anger showed itself in his tone. "That is very well for you to say, Inuyasha, but what happens next time we face Motekuro? Your mark upon Kagome will have faded by tomorrow by the looks of it, and when Motekuro comes she will be just as open to his attack as she was that first day."

"I said," Inuyasha growled, "we'll defeat him." He stared hard at the fire, trying to fight his growing anger. His hand was once again latched onto Tessaiga.

"It scares you, doesn't it?" Miroku's voice was calmer now, and Inuyasha knew the monk was looking at him with a question in his eyes.

"What do you think, monk?" He stole a glance at the other man. Miroku nodded.

"What were you and Kagome talking about earlier?" was the monk's next question, and Inuyasha shook his head, refusing to answer. "And why are you still gripping Tessaiga so tightly?"

Despite the question, Inuyasha knew the monk was just trying to make a point.

"You tell me, Miroku," he grumbled.

But Miroku just shook his head. "I didn't understand it until tonight," he continued, and shifted positions against the tree. "In the village, your reaction was a bit exaggerated, don't you think, when that man spit at Kagome?"

Inuyasha's growl echoed around the campsite.

"And there's really no reason for you to be so standoffish around Kagome." The monk's eyes flickered to Tessaiga. "Or for you to be gripping your sword so tightly." He paused for a long moment, his eyes locked on the hanyou.

"You want to mark her again, don't you." His quiet voice rang around the campfire like a tiny pistol had gone off. But when a log broke in the fire, the sound it made was louder than his voice had been.

Inuyasha had gone completely still, his eyes glued to the fire as if his stare was the only thing giving life to the flames.

"Inuyasha-"

"Keep your trap shut about things you don't know." Inuyasha's words were barely anything but a growl, and as Miroku looked more closely at the hanyou he noticed his body was visibly shaking.

Miroku sighed, feeling his own body tense up. "Inuyasha-"

"Shut up, Miroku."

Miroku kept quiet for a moment, but his heart was hammering in his chest, his jaw clenching until he saw Inuyasha calm down a bit and he could speak again. "Your mark protects her, Inuyasha, and you've been closely guarding her all day, since the villagers showed their hostility towards her. If we can find no other way to protect the girls," Miroku raised his voice when the hanyou opened his mouth to stop his words, "will you mark her again?"

"I won't keep on marking her, Miroku. In case you haven't noticed, I have other ways to protect her."

"They didn't work last time."

Miroku's words stopped both men from saying anything for a while, both occupied with their own thoughts. The crackling of the fire was all that sounded in the night, but for the occasional night bird and cricket. Shippou shifted in Kagome's lap, his foot kicking out in a dream as he shifted his body closer to her stomach before he settled down again.

"I've been thinking, Inuyasha," Miroku began again once the kitsune had been still for a while, "and those villagers back there, that mark on that girl… this Motekuro is different than anything we've ever encountered. We've known that, but even Sango thought his kind to be myth, and she's probably come across every demon there is. Or close to it. And we couldn't even sense this demon's presence in the village, or the girl's death until she was practically under our noses. Sango and Kagome are powerful, but they can't fight effectively against him. Protecting them is something we've never had to do, not like this." He raised his eyes to Inuyasha, who was staring intently at the monk. "Maybe we have to approach this differently."

"What are you implying, monk?" Inuyasha seemed half curious, half suspicious.

"I mean," Miroku sighed, "that whatever you are holding back, maybe you shouldn't."

Inuyasha's growl started again.

"What do you know of anything, Miroku? Do you seriously think I should mark Kagome _again_?"

"No," Miroku said, and Inuyasha nodded his agreement, his body relaxing. "I think you should mark her for good."

Inuyasha reared back, his teeth bared for a moment. "What?!"

Shippou twitched at Inuyasha's outburst, and both men glanced over at the restless kitsune.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Miroku? Have you finally contracted some disease from some-"

"It's simple, Inuyasha," Miroku sighed, cutting off the hanyou's accusation. "Whether or not you see it, even though it's right before your eyes, Kagome is-"

"I know she's in danger," Inuyasha cut him off, shifting restlessly. "I'm not an idiot."

Miroku glared at the hanyou. "She's in love with you, you idiot," Miroku ground out. Inuyasha froze again. His eyes had gone wide, but he refused to look at the monk. "You promised to protect her, Inuyasha. With your life." He paused, watched for some reaction from the hanyou. He got nothing. "If it came to it, marking her would not be the worst thing you could do."

It was many moments before Inuyasha spoke again. When he did, his eyes rose from the ground, his gaze calm and resigned as it met Miroku's curious stare. "Kagome has a gentle heart, Miroku. Why would she want to be mated to a monster?"

Miroku felt his heart stutter. "Monster? Inuyasha-"

"If I mated her, if I marked her like you are suggesting, I would be no better than… than that seeker demon. I won't." He looked away from Miroku, his thoughts turning in on himself. "I can't… Last time he came around," he explained slowly, "I lost control. I can't do that again. Not where Kagome is concerned, not where you and Sango and Shippou are concerned."

Miroku sighed, his anger flowing out of him. "Inuyasha, in case you haven't noticed, last time you didn't hurt Kagome. It was different than all the other times your demon side has come out."

Inuyasha glanced up, holding Miroku's stare. "Who's to say it will be the same next time?"

"Inuyasha-"

But Inuyasha was suddenly standing, his hand tucking Tessaiga back at his hip. The next moment he was leaping into the trees, settling down on a branch with his back to the trunk. He was too high up to talk to. Miroku was sure Inuyasha would be able to hear it if he spoke up into the canopy to him, but there was no way Miroku would catch the hanyou's voice if he spoke soft enough from the treetops so as not to wake the girls. Their conversation was effectively ended with the hanyou's simple shift in location.

Nonetheless, he whispered his last remaining thoughts into the night, knowing Inuyasha would hear, and needing to say them out loud. "If you think you're the only one fighting yourself, Inuyasha, you better think again. Sango's in danger too and I-" he paused. His eyes flickered to the demonslayer, his right hand fisting in his lap. "All of us are fighting our own battles where this Motekuro is concerned. When we face him next time, we have to be prepared for anything. And there will be a next time." He tilted his face up, watched Inuyasha's silhouette for a few moments as if seeking a response. But he knew he would get none. But Inuyasha had heard, and Miroku just hoped it was enough to put things in perspective for him.

Miroku hated mentioning his own fears to Inuyasha, especially when they concerned Sango. When it concerned Sango, it always struck deeper, it seemed. But Inuyasha had kept his secrets before, had pulled him back from death multiple times, and when it came down to it, Miroku knew that he could rely on Inuyasha for anything.

If only Inuyasha could rely on himself as well.

They would face Motekuro. It was inevitable, and as Miroku's eyes glanced over at Sango again, he found himself uttering a prayer of protection, of strength, of anything that would help them in the battle to come.

* * *

From his perch in the tree, Inuyasha breathed in deeply, letting the cold night air and the steady pulse of Tessaiga against his hip steady him again. Miroku was too wise for his own good. But where did he get off saying what he had? He didn't know the first thing about a demon's nature, about the marking. And he was telling him that he should just mark Kagome?

_She's in love with you, you idiot_. Inuyasha scoffed. Kagome? With him? That monk was too amorous for his own good. Inuyasha's gaze shifted, found Kagome's sleeping form. There was no way she could love him, not enough to be his mate. Sure, she might now, but once she saw his demon nature, would she be willing to put herself through that? Through seeing him like that when he-?

Inuyasha cut off his thoughts, his hand going to Tessaiga's hilt. No. She wouldn't. Because he wouldn't give her the chance. He would protect her, he always would. But he would never let her see him like that, in his demon form when he couldn't control it. She had never left his side, and he knew she never would. She had seen him in his demon form before. Attacking an enemy, even turning his claws on her. But marking her as his mate would be so completely different. He wouldn't put her through that, let her see him like that. No, because then he'd be no better than Motekuro or any other demon. And he was stronger than that. He had to be, even if his chest ached just a bit more when he tore his gaze away from the sleeping girl, shut his eyes tight against the need to mark her and make sure she was always, permanently protected from the Motekuro's of the world. But not marking her himself, he told himself as he arranged himself on the branch more comfortably, was doing just that.

* * *

The morning seemed to come later than usual. There were few birds near the clearing, and so with the near silent morning and the clouds hiding the sun's rising, it was later than they had wanted to head out when the group found themselves starting off into the east again.

Shippou was perched on Miroku's shoulder, asking him why he looked so tired. Miroku sighed, saying something about the morning light making it look like he was more tired than he really was. Sango shot the monk a glance, and Miroku ignored it, pretending to pay attention as Shippou shrugged and started to chatter quietly about villages they might come to on their way to the centipedes in the east.

"I don't think we should stop at any more villages," Sango said after Shippou mentioned something about hot dumplings. "If we don't want to get any more innocent humans involved with Motekuro, then we should stay clear of any more villages."

"You are correct, Sango," Miroku said, but there was a frown on his face and his eyes seemed troubled. "We had best keep to the woods."

Sango watched the monk closely at his words. He seemed put out about something, and she wasn't sure she should ask what it was.

Kagome surveyed all of them from her position behind them. She took up the rear of the party again. Inuyasha was even more tense this morning than last night, and every time she managed to walk closer to him his eyes seemed to flicker to her more than was natural. _More than what's healthy_, she thought, her bad mood putting her on edge. Too much had changed in such a short amount of time. Miroku and Sango were dancing around each other again, Shippou seemed to be chattering out of a need for sound alone, and Inuyasha kept on distancing himself. And Kagome felt as if everyone had absorbed some of the villagers' paranoia.

Her eyes flickered to Inuyasha at the head of the group. She had slowly stepped back from him, given him his room, and had found herself at the back of the group again. She didn't mind, really, but his words and his actions where wearing her down. His mark had faded in the night, and so she was sure he would stop acting so fidgety around her. But in fact, he seemed more fidgety. _I wouldn't have marked you if I didn't need to_. Kagome sighed, shook her head, and trudged along. _No matter_, she thought. At least she was here, and she trusted Inuyasha to protect her. That would have to be enough.

"Hey, Kagome!"

Kagome looked up at Shippou's voice. He was watching her, his gaze flickering from her to Inuyasha. "Could you bring me more crayons next time you go to through the well?"

Kagome chuckled, felt her spirits lift just a little bit. Leave it to Shippou to think of something as simple as crayons when they had a demon like Motekuro after them. "Sure, Shippou. I'll bring you back two boxes, how does that sound?"

The kitsune perked up at that, and Miroku had to raise a hand and steady the kitsune as he nearly bounced on the monk's shoulder. Kagome glanced at Inuyasha. He was glaring at the fox-demon. _I don't know when I'll go back through the well_, Kagome thought, and a tiny feeling of surprise passed through her when she realized she hadn't thought about going back through the well for protection against Motekuro since they had realized they would have to face him again. _But I'll get them next time for you Shippou_.

Kagome continued to follow the group, her thoughts vague as they continued to walk. Shippou had stopped talking.

It was many moments before Kagome heard her name whispered on the wind. She looked up, looked around at the group.

"What?" she asked.

The group looked back at her, surprise written in all their faces.

"What, Kagome?" Sango asked.

"Someone said my name," she said. "What did you guys want?"

A feeling of unease crept into her stomach when Sango exchanged a look with Miroku, and Inuyasha's growl reached her ears. "I didn't hear anything," he said, and Kagome felt her heart skip a beat.

Miroku's body went rigid. "Shippou?" his voice rang with urgency.

Kagome's eyes snapped to the kitsune and she felt her stomach drop when she saw the tiny demon visibly shaking.

"Kagome," he whispered, and she could hear the panic in his voice.

"Shippou, get out of here," Inuyasha snapped, and Tessaiga was drawn.

Everything moved too fast in the next few heartbeats. Shippou flew into the woods, nothing more than a russet streak against the green foliage, and then the wind kicked up, and with it Kagome heard her name brush past her ear, a shiver going down her spine. A branch fell from one of the trees, and Miroku called out a warning as he pulled Sango away from the falling limb.

"Kagome." The voice was closer now, much closer, and she knew everyone else could hear it now because Inuyasha cursed and she heard Sango gasp. The wind started to die down, but the leaves were still swirling. Past them, she saw the hint of a gray cloak and black hair. The wind left her a moment later, but a solid presence seemed to pass over her shoulder, brush over a cheek, and she felt her body go stiff.

Her arms went for her bow out of instinct, but her arms rose no more than a few inches before they wouldn't budge. Panic filled her, and she found her mouth opening, silently thanking any and all gods when she heard her voice piercing the wind.

"Inuyasha!"

But she didn't seem to need to call him, because he was there, his body between her and Motekuro where he was visible through the settling leaves.

"So we meet again," he drawled, and Kagome found a shiver going down her spine. He sounded so calm, and his calmness rolled off Kagome, making her own muscles relax.

"Good," Inuyasha shot back at him, a smirk visible in his voice. "This time I can finish you off."

The demon chuckled. "It wasn't so easy the first time, pup. What makes you think it'll be any different this time?"

Inuyasha's growl increased. Kagome tried to focus on the sound, on the memory of what it felt like to have the vibrating of that sound against her back. But her head was going fuzzy. She shook her head, and found that she could still in fact move it. Her arms were still stiff, and her legs wouldn't move, but some parts of her body she still had control over.

"Kagome," the demon said, and Kagome found her eyes turn towards Motekuro where he stood passed Inuyasha. The demon chuckled. "I told you this wasn't over."

And Kagome felt like she was falling. Her legs wouldn't support her, and no matter how hard she tried to keep her eyes open, her gaze on the red of Inuyasha's haori, she found darkness closing in on her. She tried to call out for Inuyasha, but there seemed to be no more breath left in her.

"Inuyasha!" She wasn't the only one calling to the half-demon. Miroku's voice broke through the sudden darkness, and Kagome felt a band of iron around her shoulders stop her fall. "Inuyasha!" the monk cried out again, and Kagome could hear the rings of his staff clatter together as he started his own fighting. "Do it!"

Inuyasha's curse was close to her ear. Then, "Kagome," and her name seemed like it was just another curse that was shot from his mouth, only this time his voice shook, and there seemed more panic than anger in her name.

"Give up, half-breed," Motekuro was saying. "You've lost," and the wind had picked up again. Inuyasha's arm clamped tighter around her for a moment and Kagome tried to fight the whiteness threatening her blank vision. She felt another presence by her side right before she heard metal strike metal.

"You're dead," Inuyasha barked, and he released her, trying to push Motekuro back.

Kagome heard Miroku's curse, heard him shout spells as he joined in the battle. Sango was silent and Kagome felt fear grip her as her world turned white.


	8. Confrontation

**A New Wind**

Chapter Eight

* * *

The battle had been a disaster. Miroku tried to push the images of the battle out of his mind as he reached a shaking hand down to Sango. His fingers pressed into her neck, searching for the gentle rush of blood beneath her skin. He waited, his fingers almost too shaky to be of any help.

_There_, the gentle pulse. It was faint, but it was there. The breath rushed out of Miroku in a shaky sigh as he sank onto the ground, sitting on the scattered debris from the battle.

"Thank kami," he breathed, pulling Sango's limp form into his lap. For a moment, he allowed himself to concentrate on nothing but the soft pulse beneath the fingers he kept securely against her neck, making sure she still lived, her breath fanning lightly across his face as he leaned his forehead briefly against her own, breathing her name, hoping to wake her. But she remained unconscious.

A crash brought him out of his lapse and his startled gaze shot up. Tessaiga was drawn, and all the trees around Inuyasha were cut down, destroyed in the hanyou's anger.

"Get off your ass, Miroku!" Inuyasha snarled, and Miroku was surprised that he was able to understand the words at all, so close they were to a growl. "We're moving."

Anger momentarily flared in Miroku's chest, subdued when he recalled the reason for Inuyasha's anger and near panic.

"Inuyasha," he said as calmly as he could, "Sango is in no condition to move at the moment."

Immediately the hanyou's spine went rigid. He whipped around, his eyes going wide at seeing Sango cradled carefully in the monk's lap. A curse worked its way out of his throat as he made his way over fallen trees to the couple's side.

"How is she?" he asked as he crouched down to get a look at the taijiya's face.

"Alive," was all Miroku could say. His fingers were still shaking as he brushed her hair out of her face, spreading lines of blood across her pale skin. There was a gash in her left cheek, and a tear in the shoulder of her uniform where blood slowly pooled out.

Miroku's mind played over again the battle. The demon had put both girls under at first, but when Inuyasha had nearly lost control of his fury Motekuro had been forced to release his hold on Sango so he could retain his hold on Kagome alone.

Sango had flown into battle immediately, but she was still disoriented from the trance. And when he had seen the first blow land, Miroku could do nothing but watch as she and Motekuro faced off. In the end, she had managed to strike the demon, but she'd already been wounded then, and all it took was one final blow to her right side and she was sprawled at the base of the tree she had been thrown against.

"I need to go." Inuyasha's voice was barely above a whisper, but he was standing, pacing again. "That bastard… he took her. I need to get Kagome back."

Miroku glanced up, nodded shortly. "I need to stay here," he said, but Inuyasha was already sniffing the air, locating Kagome's scent.

"I'll be back soon." He cast one more glance at Sango's still form. "As soon as she wakes, Kirara can track Motekuro. I… may need your help. Leave Shippou behind." And with that he turned to the east towards Kagome's scent and bounded off at full speed.

* * *

The whiteness cleared slowly, as if water were slowly trickling away sand on a glass pane. It was cold, too cold, and the first thing Kagome became aware of besides the pinpricks of cold piercing her skin was the soft sound of water dripping into a small body of water. The sound echoed around her, and as she opened her eyes panic seized Kagome. It was dark. Almost too dark to see properly. The only light came from an odd florescent glow from a tiny pool many paces to her left. Wherever she was was closed in, a rock ceiling suspended seven feet above a rock floor. She couldn't see the walls, but by the sound of water dripping every few moments she assumed the walls would be rock as well. Everything was damp. Kagome sat up slowly, amazed that she could move.

_A cave_, she though hazily. Her eyes scanned the darkness where the rock wall should have been. Nothing was there. There was no red haori, no hiraikotsu, no fox fire lighting the darkness. Kagome started to shiver.

_Inuyasha_, she thought, the memory of sound coming back to her, the clashing of swords and Miroku's spells as she felt her world fading. _Where are you?_

"It's good to see you've finally awoken." A voice came out of the shadows

Kagome was up in an instant, her muscles screaming in pain, but she bit back the cry that threatened to escape as she struggled past her sore muscle and aching limbs and pushed to her feet. But victory was short-lived. Her vision swam, and her head, a moment ago so clear, suddenly felt like it was spinning. She stumbled, staggering to face the direction the voice had come from.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

A chuckle bounced off the falling water, the damp rocks. "You should know the answer to those questions, Kagome. I thought they'd be obvious."

Movement snapped Kagome's head to the right, and out of the shadows came a tall figure. His robes were gray, his black hair flowing to the middle of his back. She couldn't see his face, but then again, she never had before, not clearly. All he was was a shadow, an outline, a mere glimpse of cloth. Until now, it seemed.

"Motekuro," she whispered, and the figure seemed to bow in the darkness.

"At your disposal," the demon replied.

"I doubt it."

Motekuro chuckled, and the sound rolled off Kagome's skin.

"What do you want?" She repeated, backing up a step and finding the rock floor behind her sloped upwards.

The demon sighed. "I thought you were smarter than that. Don't make me state the obvious."

Kagome reached across her chest, checking for the strap of her quiver. There was nothing. Her eyes darted around the darkness, looking for a lump that could look like her bow and arrows.

"Fine," Kagome answered, trying to buy herself time. "Where am I?" she demanded, trying to break free of the fear that gripped her. "And how do you know my name?"

"You are underground," the demon said patiently, "in a small cave that has any number of tunnels leading out, but only one leading in. If you tried to run, you'd get lost before you'd ever even get one step closer to your 'freedom'. As to your name," he took a step closer, and Kagome took another step back, "isn't that what your companions call you?"

Renewed fear shot through her. "What have you done with them," she demanded, and Motekuro cocked his head at her. Sango's silence before Kagome blanked out worried her. Normally the demon-slayer would be right beside Inuyasha and Miroku in battle. Her inactivity scared Kagome the most out of everything.

Kagome didn't hear movement, but suddenly the demon's figure was closer. She took another step back, and her heart shot into her throat. It was getting hard to move again. _No_, she thought. _Not now. I have to get out of here_.

"Don't worry about them." Motekuro chuckled again. "They aren't your concern anymore." Kagome felt her stomach drop. "Nor are they mine. I got what I wanted. You."

"Me?" Kagome tried to take another step back, and found it harder than it was a moment ago. And then he was standing before her, his body no more than a hand-width away. Kagome felt her spine go rigid. "Step back," she warned, and was proud when her voice came out stronger than she felt. Her muscles still hurt, even when she wasn't moving, and the shaking from the cold had only grown worse.

"You are in no position to demand anything, miko." Motekuro made a motion with his hand, and Kagome felt her muscles seize up. She tried to press herself deeper into the wall she felt behind her, but she couldn't move. But she could still talk.

"What are you planning to do to me?"

Motekuro's face drew down to hers, and for the first time she saw his features clearly. His features were softer than she expected, gentle almost, and if she hadn't known better she would have thought he was a man studying to become a monk, or a village elder. His eyes, however, threw everything off. They were leaf green, but the pupil was what had Kagome trying to pull back even more. His pupils were blue, and halfway between the slits of a cat's eyes and the circle of a human's pupil.

"That depends," he said, "on how cooperative you plan to be."

She hadn't even seen him move. One moment, there was enough space between them that Kagome could feel a slight, damp breeze flowing between their bodies, dusting goosebumps and shivers across her skin. The next, Motekuro's hand was around her neck, his breath fanning out across her jaw, and she felt suddenly weak, like weights had settled over her shoulders.

"You have no idea how long it's been since I've sensed power like yours."

Kagome felt confusion break through her fear. _Power?  
_  
Motekuro pulled his head back, looked her in her eyes. "I have new plans for you."

"_New_ plans?"

A smile tugged at the demon's lips, and Kagome felt herself shiver again. "Aye. When I first sensed you coming, I thought you were like that demon slayer. Strong. A good source of energy. I live off of the energy of women, miko. And you and that slayer were the strongest women I've come across in a long time. But the closer I got to you, the more power I sensed." He paused, and his eyes flickered to her neck, to the mark Inuyasha had given her that was no longer there.

"That hanyou brat doesn't even know how to protect his woman."

Kagome stiffened even more, while her chest tightened painfully. "I am not his woman."

Motekuro's eyes snapped back up to her face, and a finger slowly stroked across the spot Inuyasha had marked. "Obviously."

Kagome took a slow breath in, trying to calm her racing heart, but it wasn't working. Her muscles were bunched tight, as much with pain as with the need to move away from the demon before her. She forced her breathing to remain slow, to keep her calm.

"There are two options for you now," Motekuro continued. "I'm doing you a favor by giving you an option, of sorts. I never do this sort of thing." He paused, his eyes traveling around her face, and Kagome felt her insides squirm. "But you seem to be different from any other woman I've encountered. You are too strong, so a second option has become available to you. First, I can treat you like I do all the other women I meet. You're strength alone will keep me strong for months. In that time, women like that one in the village yesterday won't have to suffer for a while yet."

Kagome felt herself go pale, the woman's limp form appearing before her eyes. She heard once again a woman sobbing, the whispers of the villagers.

"Second, I release you." Kagome's heart leapt in her chest, her eyes darting around the demon's face, trying to read his sincerity. When she expected him to continue, to explain, he remained silent, his eyes boring into her own.

"Release me?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

Motekuro's smile had Kagome shaking all over again.

"I don't need to drain all your energy at once," he said quietly, soothingly, and Kagome felt herself relaxing in his grip. "A miko like you should be able to live a long time with some of your energy being drained off. I can track as well as the next demon, and once I start feeding from you, you won't escape. I feel confident that you'll last me several years, little miko, with your energy." He chuckled. "That hanyou didn't have such a bad idea when he tried to mark you. Do you seriously think he would be the only one vying for your blood?"

Panic flared through Kagome, hot in her veins as Motekuro's eyes fell to Kagome's neck, where Inuyasha's claim had lain on her skin not a day ago. It increased ten fold when the demon leaned forward, his body going flush against her own. His breath was warm against her neck, and as his teeth scraped over her neck, Kagome felt her heart shattering.

"Wait!"

She was breathing hard, but Motekuro had stopped his movements.

"Wait," she panted. Her arms were shaking, straining against the hold he had on her. "What about my choice?"

"Is there really a choice for you?" he asked her. He lifted his head just enough so that she could see his eyes. "I saw you at the village. And yes," he said at Kagome's widening eyes. "I saw you. Your half demon and mortal companions have never dealt with one of my kind. We have many tricks to conceal our presence from far enough away. But regardless, I saw your reaction to that dead woman. You'd do anything to save another, wouldn't you? I can feel it." His hand came up, and Kagome tried to shy back as a finger touched her chest, right over her heart. "Right here. Your energy flickers when people are suffering. You can't help but try to save them. You'd do this, if it meant saving multiple innocents."

Kagome felt her knees go weak. The only thing keeping her standing now was Motekuro's body and his hold on her. _Inuyasha_, she cried out in her mind. Her eyes closed, and her breath rushed out of her.

"They'll come for me." Kagome's voice was barely above a whisper, but she felt Motekuro stir against her, trying to catch her words. "He'll come for me. He always has."

"Are you so sure?" Motekuro asked.

Kagome tried to nod, but she couldn't. "Yes."

"Even when one of your traveling party is in such dire condition?"

Kagome's eyes snapped open.

"I doubt they'll want to move a dying taijiya," Motekuro continued, and Kagome felt a painful pressure build behind her eyes.

"_What_?"

"I'm not that kind, Kagome," the demon whispered. "I told you you had two options." He lowered his face to her neck once more, and Kagome's eyes closed tight, tears falling hot down her cheeks. "Not every woman has that option."

_Sango_. Kagome felt her mind spin. It was an almost physical sensation, the feeling of falling that her mind was experiencing.

"What choice do you really have, miko?" Motekuro's voice drifted up to her ear, soft and gentle. "You know the answer to that."

What choice did she really have? The options sped like lightening through Kagome's mind. Die now, save a few innocent women for a few months. Live for a few more years, but become the walking dead to a demon so that tens, maybe hundreds of women could live. There really was no choice, and Kagome felt her heart breaking at the thought. Motekuro took a step closer, and as his fangs once again brushed against her skin, Kagome felt her skin crawl.

An image of Inuyasha fluttered across her mind. His red haori, the golden eyes, his white hair, his foul temper. For a moment, she let herself think of the body pressing against her own as the hanyou's. But it didn't work. This wasn't what Inuyasha had felt like, and she felt a cry building up in her chest. She remembered Inuyasha pushing her away from the hostile villagers, putting himself between her and danger. Her eyes opened.

"He won't let you, you know."

Motekuro's head pulled back at her words. "Who won't?" he asked. "That hanyou?"

"Yes. He won't let you use me like that."

The demon's lips pulled back in a sneer. "Do you seriously think a half demon like him could stop me, a full-blooded demon?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation in her voice.

The sneer faltered for a moment. "I won't have to worry about him if he's dead."

Kagome felt her heart stutter. Inuyasha? Dead? Anger flared in her. Sango was supposedly near death, and now… no. She couldn't think of it.

"You couldn't kill him."

A laugh bubbled out of the demon's chest. "Why? Is he so strong?"

"Yes," she answered. "But that's not why." The demon raised an eyebrow at her following silence. "He's too stubborn," she answered his silent question.

"Then he'll have to be the first business I take care of, when I'm stronger. With that taijiya's power, and some of yours, I'll be able to take him down no problem."

And he was leaning forward, his fangs pressing into her neck.

Panic flared in Kagome, accompanied with anger. Motekuro was going to drain her energy, use her own powers against Inuyasha, and with him Shippou, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara. _No_, she thought. There was no way she would be used against her friends.

"He'll come for me, and you'll be sorry," she warned.

Motekuro chuckled, and Kagome sighed with relief as he lifted his head from her neck. "So you think you have a third option, little miko? To go off with this half-demon?" He shook his head. "It'll never work. The whelp can't even mark you correctly. You're open for the taking now." His fingers rose and brushed against her neck once more. Kagome continued to stare at him, her fists clenched and aching to move, to strike against this demon in any way she could.

"You don't understand, do you, miko," Motekuro murmured, lowering his face so it was right in front of hers. "Do you seriously think having that hanyou mark you would be better than being marked by me?"

Anger opened Kagome's mouth, quick to respond, but he was talking again.

"Why do you think those humans in that village were so hostile towards you?" Motekuro's eyes bore into her own, assessing. "You entered their village, you spent the night in one of their huts, you brought a demon into their midst and-"

"Half demon," Kagome spat. "Inuyasha's a half demon."

Motekuro's chuckle reverberated off of the walls. "Half-demon." He sounded almost cheerful. "Regardless, a creature with demon blood is a monster regardless of true heritage. What mattered to them was that you were marked as a demon's mate," his eyes flickered to her neck, "and a woman with similar markings was found dead right outside their village the night _you_ appeared." His eyes snapped back up to hers and she wished she could cringe back, for the intense look in his gaze. "For all they know, your Inuyasha killed the woman, while saving you from a similar fate." He leaned in closer to her, so that his breath whispered across her face as he talked. "And you could have persuaded him to spare your life for another's."

"No!" Rage boiled through Kagome. "Inuyasha is nothing like you!"

Motekuro chuckled. "Do you really believe so? He has demon blood in him, no matter how watered-down it is. Marking a mate is just as violent for him as for any demon." A smile suddenly grew tugged his lips upwards. "He is no different than I, or any other demon in that respect, no matter how tainted that filthy hanyou is."

"No!" With his words, Kagome's rage boiled over, and for a moment, she felt that rage manifest itself physically in her body. It only took a second, but one moment she was trapped within Motekuro's hold, unable to do so much as move her little finger, and the next her arms were raised, and she felt a force burn out of her. There was a bright, pure light, and Motekuro's cry bounded off the stone walls.

Kagome blinked in the aftershock. There was silence, and as her vision came back from the blinding light she realized Motekuro was no longer there. The next moment she had turned on the spot and was running, pushing back her pain, her memory absurdly flashing through her first meeting with Inuyasha and her run-in with that first centipede demon so many years ago.

The walls started to materialize in front of her as she ran, trying to find a way out. The rock reverberated, shook, and Kagome leapt over a bolder, trying to make it to the opening of the cave before Motekuro came back to his senses. She only hoped she could escape, go somewhere Inuyasha would be able to find her before Motekuro did.

The rock's shaking started to take on a rhythmic pattern. Kagome tripped, shock seizing her limbs as she realized it was laughter making the rock tremble.

"Do you even know where you are going, little priestess?"

A streak of green and gray shot past Kagome's line of vision to the right, and she gasped, putting on an extra burst of speed.

"For all you know, you could be running deeper into the cave, away from your precious sunlight."

And he was in front of her. Kagome gritted her teeth, preparing to barrel right into him. He smiled, and she saw his fangs glint in the odd cave light. At the last moment, she feigned right, went left, and her eyes grew wide as it seemed to work.

A moment later, however, all her hope was lost as a hand closed around her right forearm. Her body seized up, her legs stilled beneath her, and she cried out in pain and surprise as her body was once again in Motekuro's rigid control. Her arm was pulled back, her body followed, and she was facing the demon.

"If that's the case," she panted, surprised she could still talk, "then why are you trying to stop me."

Motekuro chuckled. "Ever hear of cat and mouse?"

Kagome shivered, and Motekuro's grin widened.

"I think I underestimated you, miko." His eyes raked over her face and Kagome gritted her teeth against his perusal. "I saw your beauty from the start. But your strength?" His voice grew softer. "That took a little longer to realize. And to think, I was just going to use you like the rest of them. Like that woman from the village and that taijiya."

Pain slammed into Kagome's chest. Her muscles started to shake with the effort to move, to do anything. "If you don't tell me what's happened to Sango-"

"You'll find out soon enough. You can experience it first hand."

The demon raised his free hand, brushed the hair that had fallen into her face back behind her ear. "You are overexerting yourself," Motekuro crooned, noting how she was starting to sweat with her body's fight against pain and attempts to keep moving. "Just relax. There won't be much pain."

Tears were gathering again, and as her thoughts drifted back to Sango and Inuyasha they slowly began to fall. Her eyes, however, never left Motekuro's gaze.

"You won't win," she ground out. Her body shivered at Motekuro's chuckle. The next moment she felt her body weakening, like her strength was slowly being drained like water in a sieve.

"Oh little miko," he sighed, weaving his free arm around her waist as he stepped closer. He bent his head to hers, brushed his lips over her ear. "I always do."

* * *

The world was a blur. Inuyasha sped through the trees, keeping to the path that Kagome's scent paved for him. Motekuro's scent was almost too faint to smell, but once he had realized what that woodsy smell was under Kagome's own scent it was easier to follow. So far, the two scents hadn't broken off from each other. Inuyasha could only hope that when he finally found Kagome, the two scents could be separated. He wouldn't allow himself to think of any other outcome.

"Damn it, Kagome. You better be safe." He put on an extra burst of speed when the trees started to get thicker, the rock starting to become more common. Her scent was stronger here. Tessaiga was at his side, but as a cave came into view, and Motekuro's scent grew stronger, he gripped Tessaiga in a tight hold.

"Motekuro, you bastard," he spat as he charged into the cave. His eyes adjusted almost immediately to the sudden darkness. His heart plunged when he saw the cave split into three tunnels, and he was forced to stop. _Shit. _

His eyes scanned the different tunnels, his nose working overtime. Two tunnels smelled like Kagome. The bastard must have moved her, just to confuse him. Either that, or Kagome had tried to get away, and almost succeeded.

Inuyasha felt a swell of pride at that. It would be like Kagome, to almost succeed to get away from such a powerful opponent, and to actually try in the first place.

Pressing his nose close to the ground, Inuyasha breathed in, hoping to Kami he'd be able to pick up the most recent scent marking from her. There! The center tunnel. Inuyasha was on his feet, running again as the tunnel got darker and darker, cursing again as the tunnel split into two after only a quick burst of speed.

_Shit! _He breathed in deeply, picking out the strongest scent once again._ Kagome, stay safe. Stay safe until I get there!_

* * *

The blood had stopped enough so that Miroku could try to wrap clean cloths around Sango's wound. He wasn't exactly sure what cloths were supposed to work where, and he was sure that Kagome would give him a good talking to when she found her medical box in complete disarray, but as he bound the gash on Sango's shoulder closed he didn't really care. Her bleeding had stopped on her face as well, and he had used one of those big band-aid things on the cut on her cheek, but she was still out cold. Her skin was clammy now, and despite the steady pulse beneath his fingers when he checked her pulse again, she didn't seem to be getting any better.

"Come on, Sango," he prodded her, as he tied off the bandage on her shoulder. "You still have a demon to kill. You can't fail me now." Kirara mewed from her spot near the demon-slayer's head, and leaned forward to lick the woman's face.

"Miroku!"

Miroku's head snapped up, and he felt a brief pause in the tension and despair wash over him as Shippou charged into the clearing made from the battle.

"Shippou," he sighed, as the kit stopped on the opposite side of Sango, his eyes wide on her face. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Sango?" The kit pressed a tiny hand to the taijiya's cheek, leaning closer when she didn't respond.

"She's still out."

"What happened to her?" The tiny kit sounded near tears.

Miroku frowned, and his hand curled into a fist. "Motekuro released her from his hold on her, and she fought him. He was wounded, I believe, but Sango…" he let his voice fade out. "She'll be alright, Shippou," he reassured the kit, forcing more conviction into his voice than he felt. "All she needs is rest, and she'll be back and fighting in no time."

Shippou nodded, but he was shaking as he looked around the clearing. "Where's Kagome?" he suddenly asked. "And Inuyasha?"

Miroku hesitated, and in that moment Shippou's eyes turned wide, his head turning to stare at Miroku.

"Kagome was taken," Miroku answered bluntly. "Inuyasha went after her."

"What?!" Shippou was on his feet, staring at Miroku in disbelief. The next moment, he was sitting at Sango's side, his head bowed with tears sliding down his cheek. "That idiot," he sniffed. "He should have protected her."

Miroku sighed, picking up his staff he had placed behind him while tending to Sango. "He is," he told Shippou. "You have to trust him, Shippou. He's doing the best he can."

"He can do better. And he knows it."

Miroku sighed, but did not argue. If Inuyasha had marked Kagome, yes, the fight with Motekuro might have gone better. Kagome would have been protected, and Motekuro might have been forced to retreat once again. Miroku's eyes slid down to Sango's still form. Guilt crept its way into the feelings of anger and fear as he thought about what that might have done to Sango, if Inuyasha had claimed Kagome when Motekuro was there. Sango would have been the only woman opened to attack. As much as he hated to admit it, both girls were a part of Motekuro's plan. Both were open to his attack, and if one was eliminated from Motekuro's radar, then it left the other wide open to attack.

Miroku shook his head. It was no use worrying about that now. Sango still needed to wake up, and they still needed to find Kagome and bring her back. Alive.

"Shippou," Miroku said, bringing the kitsune's attention away from the unconscious demon slayer, "I need to help Inuyasha. I don't know what he's going to do. He's already worried about Kagome, and I'm worried about what he might try to do if he's alone with Motekuro." Shippou's eyes went a little wider.

"You don't think he'd hurt-"

Miroku shook his head. "No. He'd never hurt Kagome." Shippou shook his head in agreement. "I just don't want him getting his stubborn self killed if he tries something dangerous with that demon." His gaze fell on Sango. "I don't want to leave Sango alone. But…"

"I'll watch after her," Shippou said, his voice strong, and when Miroku glanced to his face he saw determination turning the young kit's features hard. "I'll protect her, Miroku. You can trust me."

Miroku felt a small smile tugging his lips. "I know, Shippou."

But Miroku hesitated. He hated leaving Sango, even with Shippou. Shippou was in as much danger as Sango was. Both were targets for Motekuro, and if he was going to join Inuyasha in the fight to get Kagome back, when they did free her from Motekuro's hold, Motekuro would have time to find his way back to the battle site and kill Shippou and take Sango, all before he and Inuyasha and Kagome could make it back to their side.

Miroku shook his head. "I need to move her," he muttered, almost to himself. "Away from the battle site, at least. Somewhere safer."

Shippou nodded, jumping up and looking around them. "Kagome's stuff is still here," he whispered.

Miroku nodded, looking around at the mess he had made of her medical supplies as he pulled Sango into his arms. "Shippou, can you put the medical supplies back in their box? Kagome will kill me when she finds out what I've done to it."

Shippou nodded, and started jumping around, gathering unwound cloths and half-opened bottles and stuffing them into the medical box as Miroku stood with Sango.

"Kirara," Miroku said, and Kirara mewed, transforming into her larger form. Miroku sighed. "Thank you."

"What about Kagome's backpack?" Shippou said, as he jumped onto Kirara's back, the medical box under one tiny arm, Kagome's discarded bow and arrows in the other. "We can't just leave it here."

Miroku nodded, but he continued climbing up onto Kirara's back. He didn't want to jostle Sango too much, but knew that without Kagome's backpack, they'd be without some much needed supplies. "I can't get it now," he told the kit. "We'll have to come back for it."

Kirara made a sound, looking back over her shoulder to make sure everyone was settled on her back. Then she started forward. Miroku raised an eyebrow when she stepped over to Kagome's backpack, picked it up in her mouth, before leaping into the air in one swift leap. Miroku smiled, bowing his head over Sango's form.

They'd only been flying for a few minutes when Miroku felt Shippou shift closer behind him.

"When do you think Sango will wake up?" the kit asked hesitantly.

Miroku fixed his eyes on Sango's face.

"Soon," he said. He couldn't believe otherwise.

* * *

It was the breeze that woke her. It was soft, slightly cool, but as it gently rolled over her skin, Sango felt the darkness clearing. Everything hurt, that was the second thing she became aware of. Her head felt like it was going to explode, and every muscle felt like she had been running for three days straight. Even at the beginning of her taijiya training, when her father had first given her hiraikotsu and she had practiced for days on end, she had never felt this sore before.

There was a soft up and down movement, the sound of the wind rushing past her ears. And yet the rush of wind in her ears didn't match the gentle flow of air flowing over her body. She opened her eyes hesitantly, finding she could only open them a crack before the sun became too bright. It must have been late afternoon, judging by the golden color of the sunlight. But what caught her gaze even more were the black and purple robes before her eyes. It was then that she realized there was an arm around her shoulders, and another under her knees, holding her in a kind of protective cocoon, away from the worst of the wind.

_Miroku?_ She tried to open her eyes more, to search around and see where Kagome and Inuyasha were, but her body refused to listen to her commands. Instead, her eyes rose to Miroku's face. He was staring ahead of him. His normally calm expression was gone, replaced by features set hard in determination. For a moment, she wanted to reach out, touch his hand, anything, to soften the look on his face. But then reality set in, and she closed her eyes against the sudden impulse. That would only get her into more trouble, she reasoned. She already had enough to think about, besides suddenly showing Miroku that she really did still have softer feelings for him.

She sighed, and the body supporting hers shifted. She kept her eyes closed, even when the arm around her shoulder tightened almost imperceptibly and she heard Miroku talk above the wind.

"Kirara," he said, "this should be far enough. They should be safe here."

And then Sango's stomach rose, like they were falling slowly, and she felt herself slipping back into sleep. She was with Kirara, and Miroku was there. She would be safe.

* * *

_Dammit!_ Inuyasha slammed a fist into the ground, his knuckles bleeding with the sudden violent action. He was breathing hard, his heart racing. He had made it this far, into a part of the cave that no amount of light reached. He couldn't remember how many tunnels he'd chosen between, but up until now Kagome's scent had been strong and steady, like a soft, constant breeze. Now, her scent was fading. Motekuro's had become stronger and stronger, and hers had only faded. Now, there were two tunnels, and Kagome's scent was attached to both of them. Only this time, there was no difference between the two. If he chose wrong this time, there was no telling how long it would take him to retrace his steps and find Kagome.

His fist slammed into the rock once more, his eyes shutting tight as he concentrated on sound alone. If Kagome was here, if she was putting up a fight, he might be able to hear her. _Anything, Kagome_, he found himself repeating in his mind. _Give me anything here._ A shuffle of a shoe against stone, the sound of cloth rustling as she darted down a dark tunnel, even a gasp of surprise as she found her way barred by darkness and rock. _Please, Kagome_.

His ears twitched, swiveled toward the left tunnel. He thought he heard the faint sound of water dripping. But that was nothing important. It wouldn't lead him to Kagome.

His eyes opened nonetheless, squinting into the darkness. He could barely see now. His eyes were better than a human's, yes, but he still needed some light to go off of. Now, it was near impossible to see anything.

The water continued, and Inuyasha stood slowly. _If this is Motekuro's den_, he reasoned to himself_, he'd need water. If he brought Kagome here, would he bring her to the water? Or away from it, some place that's more cut off? _ A soft growl escaped him, but he cut it off quickly. He needed as much surprise as he could get if he wanted to have an advantage over the demon.

Inuyasha sniffed the air once more, searching one more time for a spike in Kagome's scent. But it was just the same as before. Except… He sniffed again, his hands clenching into fists at the new scent that drifted to his nose. It was water, but it was spiked with salt, and he'd always loathed that smell before. This time, however, he was ready to claim it as his favorite scent, as long as it led him to her.

_Her tears. She's fucking crying._ Inuyasha started down the left tunnel.

It was then that he heard her voice. It was a single word, one single word, but it had him springing into full motion.

"No!" Kagome screamed, and his chest clutched with fear. Less than a heart beat later there was a bright flash of white light, and Inuyasha recognized it instantly as her spiritual power. A curse shot out of his mouth. _Keep fighting, Kagome!_ He shouted at her in his mind. She was fighting, that much was obvious, but what she was fighting made his hand dart to Tessaiga, draw the sword as the tunnel opened up into a cavern.

Inuyasha blinked at the sudden faint light, his step never faltering.

And he saw her. And Motekuro.

"Kagome!" he cried out, and the demon's head whipped up. Rage flooded Inuyasha. That bastard had his face near her neck. That demon was trying to mark her.

A sensation flooded Inuyasha, something so new he barely had time to identify it before he was raising Tessaiga, calling Kagome's name one more time. He had no time to figure out what it meant as he charged Motekuro, his growl echoing around the damp chamber, but it had his limbs shaking with outrage, and blind fear.

"Release her!" he called out. He didn't give Motekuro time to respond as he swung Tessaiga, making sure the blade wouldn't hurt Kagome. His eyes flickered to her face, and his lips pulled back as he saw she was unconscious.

A chuckle reverberated around the stone.

"Do you think you'll be able to save her now, half-breed?" Motekuro taunted, jumping back from the swing of Tessaiga, Kagome still in his grasp. "You're already too late. She's mine."

Rage boiled over in the form of a cry as Tessaiga was raised in the air, Inuyasha charged forward, and brought Tessaiga down once more. But the other demon was too swift, and he dodged the blow once again.

"Bullshit!" Inuyasha fumed, circling Motekuro, trying to find a weakness. "Kagome will never be yours."

Motekuro pulled his lips back, showing his fangs. "She already is. You've lost your chance, half-breed. She's not your problem anymore."

"Over my dead body!" Inuyasha cried.

"Naturally," and Kagome was falling, Motekuro's arm going from around her to the katana at his side. Fear gripped Inuyasha and he dove forward, reaching towards Kagome's limp form, but instinct had him jumping back as a blade crashed down in front of him. He stared in horror as Kagome fell, her body hitting the ground. The rock was hard, and there was a dull thud as her head hit the stone.

"You bastard!" and he was up, raising Tessaiga, calling on its power, preparing to use anything, everything, to get Kagome back. "Windscar!" he called out, and the rock walls were shaking, the cavern filling with light.

* * *

Miroku pressed himself down against Kirara's back, his eyes open to the darkness. He couldn't see anything, but as Kirara kept on running he figured she could both see and smell. As long as she kept Inuyasha's scent, he figured they could keep going. They had to.

The walls around them started to shake, and Miroku strained to see into the tunnels. A light flared, and Miroku got a quick glimpse of the caves.

"That's Inuyasha," Miroku mumbled. "Quick, Kirara," he told the cat demon, and Kirara roared, putting on an extra burst of speed.

The light flared again, and there was a crash, followed by the sound of falling rock.

"Windscar!" Inuyasha's voice came to Miroku as the tunnel suddenly opened up. Kirara sprang to the left, almost dislodging Miroku as she dodged falling rock. Miroku's eyes widened, his hand clenching his staff tighter as he saw Inuyasha struggling to stand. Motekuro stood, a sword drawn as he stepped closer to Inuyasha, completely ignoring the falling rock.

"Let's go, Kirara," Miroku mumbled, and Kirara sprang into action with another roar.

Inuyasha's head turned at the sound, his eyes widening at the sight of the monk and cat-demon.

"Miroku!" he called out, without hesitation. "Miroku, get Kagome out of here!"

Miroku felt his heart stop. Kagome? Kagome was in here?

"Kirara!" he called out, and the cat-demon turned on the spot, searching out Kagome's scent. Miroku scanned the cavern, trusting Kirara to dodge the falling rock. Occasionally he glanced at Inuyasha, but the half-demon was once again locked in battle with Motekuro.

Kirara's movement took a definite direction, and Miroku looked forward, finding Kagome's form huddled on the rock.

"Kagome!" he called to her, but she didn't stir. Kirara stopped near the girl, and Miroku jumped down, whispering a thank you to anyone who would listen when he found none of the falling rock had hit her. He took her in his arms quickly, trying to ignore how cold her skin was.

Inuyasha's voice brought his head up from Kagome's white face. "Miroku, watch out!"

And Motekuro was standing over him, his sword swinging. Miroku jumped back, just missing a boulder as it fell to his right. Miroku cursed, freeing up a hand to take out an ofuda. He threw it, but Motekuro's only reaction was to pause a moment in his step, his eyes intense on the monk. But it was enough time, and Miroku jumped onto Kirara's back, pressing himself close to Kirara's back as the demon started forward again.

Inuyasha's voice was heard again as he renewed his attack, jumping forward to put himself between the retreating group and Motekuro's advance.

"Your battle is with me," he growled, and Motekuro smirked.

"You call this a battle?" His sword swung again, and Inuyasha barked out a laugh as he dodged the blade.

"You think that'll do me in?" he mocked, but his muscles were slowing. Motekuro's sword had some strange power to it, and he'd been struck across the shoulder. He could feel the blood dripping down his back, and as much as it didn't hurt, he felt his strength slowly waning.

Motekuro didn't respond, and Inuyasha was forced to jump back as another chunk of rock dislodged itself from the roof. The next moment, Inuyasha felt Motekuro move, and he turned in time to see the demon dart forward.

* * *

Miroku turned at Inuyasha's cry. His eyes grew wide, his body straining against the urge to go help the half-demon. Motekuro's sword was clean through Inuyasha's shoulder, and Inuyasha sank to the ground.

"Inuyasha!" the monk cried out, but the rock started to fall between the half-demon and fleeing group. Miroku drew his staff behind him, aimed another ofuda at the diminishing form of Motekuro as Kirara darted into the tunnel leading to the outside world.

Miroku bent down, leaning over Kagome to avoid the low ceiling. He didn't allow himself to think. Inuyasha was in trouble, but if he didn't get Kagome out of there, Motekuro would undoubtedly finish off whatever he had started.

The sunlight came gradually, and as soon as Kirara stepped into the fresh air, he called her to stop. He settled Kagome as gently as he could on Kirara's back, noting the small cuts and bruises along her skin.

"Kirara," he told the cat-demon, and Kirara turned her head to stare at him, issuing as soft mew of worry. "Get Kagome out of here. Keep her safe. I'm going back for Inuyasha."

Kirara roared again, but she stayed still as he turned to head back into the cave.

"Damn monk," Inuyasha's voice rasped out of the cave entrance a moment before his red haori was visible in the dust starting to issue from the cave entrance.

"Inuyasha!"

"Get back on Kirara," Inuyasha growled. "We're out of here."

Miroku hesitated for a moment, his eyes taking in Inuyasha's form. He was bent over, his hand gripping his shoulder. There was blood.

The next moment Inuyasha was by Kirara's side, his hand brushing back the hair covering Kagome's face so he could look at her. A curse shot out of his mouth, and his eyes darted to Miroku.

"Let's go, Miroku."

Miroku nodded, looking back to the cave as he jumped onto Kirara's back behind Kagome. "Where's Motekuro?" he shouted at Inuyasha as the half-demon started running, keeping pace with Kirara.

"Back there," Inuyasha answered. "With any luck he's dead."

Miroku stared at the hanyou. He seemed to be keeping a good pace, but there was a pained expression on his face. That, along with the failure to boast about Motekuro's death struck Miroku as a bad sign, but he pushed back the unease as he faced forward, making sure Kagome was safe before him, hoping that Sango would be awake when he arrived back at the camp he had found before.

His eyes glanced down to Kagome before flickering back to Inuyasha. It was another reason to hope that Sango was awake when they got back. She'd be able to help calm Inuyasha's temper, perhaps, at seeing Kagome in such a state as she was. Nothing, though, he was sure would calm him as much as Kagome's own waking, and he took in a slow breath, bracing himself for what was to come. This battle wasn't over, yet.

* * *

Out of the dust billowing out of the cave, a figure slowly came out of the rock. Motekuro breathed deeply, taking in the scent of the woman. That half-demon was with her now, along with that cat-demon and that mortal man. He hadn't meant to let the half-demon get away, but perhaps the woman was telling the truth when she said something about that hanyou's stubbornness. No matter what, though, he had started to mark that woman. And he would finish it, one way or the other. Her power was something he could not let get away.

So far, the normal approach to apprehend his prey hadn't work. He shouldn't have expected it to, since from the beginning he knew she was different than most women. He would need to take a new approach to this task. And he knew just what it was now.

* * *

_  
A/N: First of all, apologizes might be in order for being so late in getting this chapter out. I thought I'd be quicker with it, but I just got home from five months spent abroad, and it was harder to adjust to life back at home in the U.S. than I thought it would be. So thank you for your patience. Secondly, I have to probably apologize in advance for the wait that will probably happen for the next chapter. I'm going to be in Russia for a month and half, starting next week, and I don't know if I'll have internet there or not. Likewise, since I'm going to conduct some research, I don't know how much down time I'll have to write. That being said, I'm hoping to get another chapter written this week, but with packing I'm not sure how much I'll be able to write. Also, in case anyone was wondering, I am going to be finishing this story. This summer is just not turning out to be a writing-productive summer. I'm hoping to continue with writing in Russia, so even if I can't post anything until August I hope to have material to post up as soon as I come back. I'll keep my fingers crossed, and sorry again for the long wait :o)_


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